More Than One Heart
by Jenna Riedell
Summary: SEES is locked in a battle - a battle that defies too many laws of time and causality to count. There are twenty-five hours in a day instead of twenty-four, people fight demonic personifications of people's desire for destructions with their own inner gods and demons, and the world might be ending, because the world didn't exactly stay saved after it was saved last time. Joy.
1. Chapter 1: A Voice in the Night

_Time never waits.  
It delivers all equally to the same end._

_You, who wish to safeguard the future,  
however limited it may be…_

_You will be given one year;_

_go forth without falter,  
with your heart as your guide…_

**Chapter 1: A Voice in the Night**

The train was late, and Madoka Tachibana didn't reach Tatsumi Port Island until almost midnight. She pulled out her cell phone immediately upon leaving the train station, only for the screen to flicker off a few seconds later, along with the rest of the lights. "Oh…" she sighed. "I guess it was kind of stupid of me to think it wouldn't happen here." She flipped her phone shut and shoved it into a side pocket on her duffel bag. _I guess I'll just call Hidehiko when I get to the dorm, then…_ She clutched the handle of her suitcase tightly, staring up at the sky. _The moon's so big…_

Seemingly out of nowhere, as she gazed up at the moon, Madoka was struck with a sudden wave of dizziness, and she nearly collapsed to her knees. The dizzy spell was gone as quickly as it came, though she still felt a bit shaky and disoriented. "It's nothing," she whispered to herself. "Nothing's wrong…"

Iwatodai Dorm couldn't come soon enough, and Madoka all but rushed inside, nearly slamming the front door behind her. "Who's there?" someone cried in alarm, and Madoka froze on the spot. A girl with short brown hair came bounding down the stairs, a gun hanging limply in her right hand. Her eyes widened in shock, and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Madoka. "Wh-What…? How can you be… But it's…!" She glared fiercely at Madoka, clutching the gun tightly. "Don't tell me…" The girl raised the gun slightly, and Madoka took a step back, unable to say anything. Then…

"Wait!"

The girl gasped as the lights came back on, and she dropped the gun to the floor. Madoka released the breath she didn't even realize she was holding as a tall girl with curly red hair came into view. "Um…" Madoka said slowly. "I-I think there's been a misunderstanding here. I'm Madoka Tachibana. I, uh… I just transferred to Gekkoukan High."

The red-haired girl closed her eyes and smiled faintly. "Yes, of course. They said you'd be coming."

"Wait a minute…" the brown-haired girl said quietly. "Madoka?"

"Y-Yes…?"

"Y-You're…!" the girl gasped, before smiling good-naturedly. "Don't you remember me? I'm Yukari. We used to play by the shrine all the time, remember?"

And, in a rush, everything came back to her. They'd play in the park nearby, try to get the cat that was always there for some reason to interact with them, get takoyaki together… "I remember!" Madoka smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Yukari-chan."

Yukari laughed. "That's okay. It was a long time ago, after all."

The red-haired girl cleared her throat loudly. "Oh, so you already know someone here," she said briskly. "That's good. And with that, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

"Wait," Yukari interjected. "She's going to be staying _here_?"

"Well, no," Mitsuru said simply. "There was a mix-up with the paperwork, and she'll eventually be moved to a regular dorm."

"Wh-What?" Madoka stammered.

"Don't worry," Mitsuru assured her. "The problem arose on our side, not yours. But you will be staying here for about a week, so until the time comes for you to move, make yourself comfortable. Your room is on the third floor. Takeba, will you please escort her to her room?"

"Yeah, I got it," Yukari replied as she reached for Madoka's suitcase. "The rest of your stuff should already be up there."

"Um…" Madoka mumbled. "Sorry, but… What's with the gun?"

"Oh, this?" Yukari asked, lifting her gun in the air. "It's sort of like a hobby. Well, not a hobby, but…"

"Self-defense?" Madoka filled in.

"Yeah, there you go!" Yukari said a little too enthusiastically before laughing nervously. "You know how it is these days…"

"Yeah…"

"So, are you excited to be back?" Yukari asked, though there was something about her tone that seemed… forced, somehow. "It's probably not the same as you remember. It's changed a lot in the past ten years or so. That's around the time you moved, isn't it? Why did you move again?"

Madoka felt something jolt in her chest; she _really_ didn't want to be having this conversation right now… "Oh, just… family stuff."

"Oh, I see." Yukari smiled at her. "Well, I'm sure you'll love it here. It'll be great having you back in Port Island, Madoka."

At that, Madoka couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Yukari-chan."

At long last, they stopped at a door at the end of the hall on the third floor. "Here we are! Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's just at the end of the hall…" She pushed open the door and flipped on the light switch as she dragged Madoka's suitcase inside. "So here's your room! You should probably get to bed, since tomorrow's the first day of school and all."

"Thanks, Yukari," Madoka said sincerely. The room was spacious – much bigger than any other room Madoka had stayed in before. There was a bed, a desk, a dresser, a little sink – everything she needed, really.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Yukari said, her tone suddenly serious. "Did… Was everything okay? I mean, on your way here from the station?"

"Um…" Madoka mumbled. She _could_ tell Yukari about what happened every day at midnight. She _could_ talk about how everyone seemed to disappear for an hour, leaving coffins and blood in their wake. She _could_ mention that there was a twenty-fifth hours that should theoretically not exist in a world of perfectly ordered, ideally twenty-four hour days.

_I heard she's a compulsive liar._

_ She's probably just doing it for the attention._

"Everything was fine," Madoka said finally.

"Oh, uh…" Yukari said slowly. "That's good to hear. Well, good night!"

As Yukari left, Madoka sat down on her new bed with a sigh. She'd just keep that strange twenty-fifth hour a secret, as usual, and everything would be all right. It wasn't like she was actually _living_ with Hidehiko, so there was no way he'd want to…

_I forgot to call Hidehiko!_ She reached for her duffel bag and pulled it onto her lap as she rummaged through it for her cell phone. At long last, she managed to find it, and she flipped it open and immediately started searching through the contacts. "Uesugi, Uesugi… Hidehiko Uesugi." She pressed the call button and held the phone to her ear.

The phone rang five times before going to Hidehiko's voicemail. "Hey! You've reached the great and mighty Brown-sama! Leave a message, and I may grace your phone with my glorious voice later!"

"Hi Hidehiko," Madoka said as soon as she heard the beep. "It's, uh… It's Madoka. I've reached the dorm… Just thought I'd call to tell you that. Um… Bye…" She sighed as she flipped her phone shut and lay back on her bed, throwing one arm over her forehead. _Please let things turn out well here…_

* * *

Gekkoukan High was, without a doubt, the biggest high school Madoka had ever seen. "Well, here we are!" Yukari said cheerfully. "Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!" They made their way inside and stopped at a bulletin board. "Huh… I can't find your name."

Madoka quickly scanned the lists for her name, stopping at a small handwritten note at the bottom of one list. "I'm in Class F."

"Oh, me too!" Yukari said. "That's great!" She put her hands on Madoka's shoulders and spun her around. "You're going to want to head over to the faculty office, which is right down this hall."

"Thank you," Madoka said pleasantly as she parted ways with Yukari.

There must have been some unwritten rule among high schools that all faculty offices must look exactly the same. A tall brown-haired woman looked over as soon as she saw Madoka. "Oh, are you the new transfer student?" she asked in a warm voice. "Madoka Tachibana… Eleventh grade, correct?"

"Uh…" Madoka said as the teacher reached for a file and began flipping through it. "That's right."

"Wow…" the teacher mused. "You've lived in a lot of different places." She stopped at one page. "Let's see… In 1999… That was what, ten years ago? Your parents—" She gasped suddenly, and Madoka smiled bitterly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know. I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand." She shut the file and tucked it under one arm before extending the other out toward Madoka. "I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach composition. Welcome to our school."

"It's nice to meet you," Madoka said with a smile.

"Have you seen class assignments?" Ms. Toriumi asked. "You're in my class. Let's head over to the classroom, shall we?" And, as they walked to the classroom, the two made small talk, and, somehow, Ms. Toriumi never felt the need to distance herself at all.

And though Madoka should have been happy about that, she was more confused than anything else. _Am I… really not pushing people away anymore?_

And so, the day passed by quickly, especially since it was a short one. "That's all for today," Ms. Toriumi said. "Normal classes start tomorrow."

And with that, everyone in the classrooms dissolved into their own conversations. Madoka picked up her schoolbag, ready to walk home, when a boy wearing a baseball cap suddenly stepped in front of her. "Hey," he said. "So you're the new transfer student, huh?" He grinned at her. "I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya. Madoka, right?" Madoka nodded. "I know how tough it is, bein' the new kid and all. I transferred here in eighth grade, so I totally feel your pain. So, I thought I'd check up on you, you know? Make sure you weren't freaking out on your first day or anything."

Madoka smiled at him. "Thanks, but I'm fine."

"Leave her alone, Junpei," Madoka heard Yukari say from a little ways away. "Honestly, is there any girl you _wouldn't_ hit on?"

"Hey, I'm just bein' friendly here!" Junpei defended himself.

"He wasn't bothering me or anything, Yukari-chan," Madoka said earnestly.

"Wait, 'Yukari-chan'…?" Junpei echoed. "Wow, already made a friend on the first day, huh?"

"I used to live here a long time ago," Madoka explained. "We were friends back then."

Junpei grinned even more widely. "Well, one more can't hurt! C'mon, I'll walk you home."

"Ugh, sorry you had to get stuck with him, Madoka," Yukari groaned. "I have some archery club stuff to take care of, so I'll be back a little later."

"All right, Madoka-chan!" Junpei said cheerfully. "You don't mind if I call you that, do ya? Let's go!" And somehow, despite Yukari's negative attitude toward Junpei, Madoka couldn't help but feel comfortable in his presence.

* * *

Madoka met the chairman, Shuji Ikutsuki, a few days later. Ikutsuki was a jovial man with an affinity for bad puns, but Madoka still couldn't shake off the feeling that there was something off about him. "Unfortunately, there's been a mix up with the paperwork regarding your transfer," he told her. "You'll be staying here for a bit longer, I'm afraid. I'm sorry for the confusion."

"That's okay," Madoka replied. "Thank you for coming all the way here."

"It was no problem at all!" Ikutsuki replied. "Now why don't you go to bed early? You must be tired from all this excitement. You know what they say: the early bird catches the bookworm!" Ikutsuki laughed at his own joke, but Yukari just shook her head. "Forgive the bad pun. Anyway, I'd best be off. I wish you a successful school year, Miss Tachibana."

But Madoka refused to heed the chairman's advice, choosing instead to stay up to study until the power went out. That strange twenty-fifth hour phenomenon didn't seem to let up in Port Island either. It seemed to be everywhere, ever since…

_No_, Madoka mentally chided herself. _Stop thinking about it. It'll hurt too much._

Either way, as per routine, she would come home, study until the power went out, and then light a candle and work on borrowed (and sometimes stolen) cram school material until the lights came back on. This little routine went on without incidence, until one night, at the end of the week, when a loud noise echoed throughout the dorm. Madoka blew out her candle and opened her door peering outside carefully. "Is everyone okay?" she called.

Yukari ran up to the door, panting and looking absolutely frantic. "Look, I don't have time to explain," she said hurriedly, "but we need to get out of here right now!"

"Why?" Madoka asked as Yukari grabbed her wrist and started pulling her across the hall. "What's going on?"

A beeping noise sounded from some sort of device on Yukari's wrist. "Takeba!" Mitsuru's voice barked. "Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"

"What enemy?" Madoka demanded. "What's happening?"

"Come on!" Yukari yelled as she dragged Madoka up the stairs, pushing the door to the rooftop open. The cold air hit Madoka like a punch in the stomach, but they pushed forward anyway, and Madoka helped Yukari shut the door. The air felt heavy, and everything felt wrong. "We should be safe now," Yukari sighed.

"Safe from what?" Madoka asked a little more calmly.

Suddenly, there was a gurgling noise, and a strange black blob slithered over onto the rooftop. One of the monster's tendrils grasped a bright blue mask, and the others brandished swords. "From that!" Yukari cried. She exhaled slowly and reached into her pocket, pulling out the same gun from before.

Madoka panicked when Yukari pressed the gun to her forehead. "Yukari-chan, wait!"

"I-I can summon mine…" Yukari said shakily, sounding distant. "No problem…"

"No, don't—"

"Here goes!" But then, one of the monster's black limbs struck Yukari across the stomach, sending her flying. Somehow, Yukari recovered quickly. "Madoka, be careful!"

The dark creature turned its attention towards Madoka, who took a hesitant step back. "S-Stay away…" She stopped when her foot hit something solid – Yukari's gun, lying innocently there. She picked it up and aimed it at the monster, but when she pulled the trigger, nothing happened. "Wh-What…?" Time seemed to slow to a standstill. The monster was advancing on her, Yukari wasn't coming, and all Madoka had to defend herself was a gun with no bullets. But Yukari had pointed the gun to her head, so did that mean…?

A gentle hand fell on her shoulder. "It's okay," Ryoji's voice whispered in her ear, sweet and soft and comforting. "You can do it. You'll be fine."

Madoka squeezed her eyes shut as she lifted the gun to the side of her head, her heart hammering in her chest. The gun didn't have bullets, so nothing would happen – but why did this motion feel so _right_? _Per…so…na…_ And with that, she pulled the trigger.

There was the sound of glass shattering, but there was no pain – just the feeling of a terrible weight being lifted off her shoulders and power surging within her. A woman's voice sounded in her mind – thin, breathy, and ethereal. _Thou art I… and I am thou. I am Hecate, mistress of ghosts. From the sea of thy soul, I come to thee. _

Madoka exhaled slowly as Hecate rose behind her, higher and higher, and more and more power surged within her. Then, all of a sudden, it was as if her head was splitting open, and she collapsed to her knees from the pain. Her vision was blurred with tears, though she could make out Hecate – a woman-like figure carrying two torches – convulsing. And with each convulsion, Madoka's head throbbed even more. Darkness swirled around Hecate, and Madoka screamed. It felt like her head was on fire, and it hurt to keep her eyes open, but she could see a dark figure ripping the monster that had attacked her to shreds. It let out a deafening roar once the monster was vanquished, and there was an even more intense spike of pain.

Madoka keeled over, as what felt like a supernova exploding in her brain refused to relent. A dark figure wearing a long black cloak, with flowing black hair and what appeared to be coffins surrounding it, hovered before her. It was a frightening sight, and yet Madoka felt safe in its presence. Then, in a flash of light, Hecate was back, flickering in and out as Madoka's vision darkened more and more.

"Are you okay?" she heard Yukari cry in alarm, as if from far away. Madoka, now lying on her side, forced her eyes open, and she could barely make out Yukari crouching by her, pushing her over onto her back. The sky was so eerily green that it was disconcerting how used to this Madoka was by now. "Come on! Don't…" But Madoka couldn't keep her eyes open, and she could feel herself sinking quickly. "Please! Can you hear me? Answer me!" And with that, it was as if the floor dropped out from under her, and Madoka fell forever.

* * *

_Word count: 2851_

_Hi! So I tried my hand at NaNoWriMo, because I was successful a few years ago and haven't been since. Aaaaaaand I'm not successful this year either at least with original fiction, which is fan-freaking-tastic (sarcasm hand raised). So this little story has been circulating in my mind for a while (ever since I first played the game, actually), and… well, here's my NaNoWriMo contribution for the year. Sort of. Yes, I know I'm a day late. Your point being…? Also, for the record, this is not beta-ed. At all. Even my own personal editing in this is minimal (which is probably a bad idea, but NANOWRIMO, C'MON)._

_So because I constantly feel the need to explain myself and my writing in author's notes – which is hella annoying, I know – allow me to explain this. Yes, it starts out the same, but it won't end the same way. As the game, I mean. The key difference being that this story will have a happy ending. I'm crossing my fingers that said happy ending isn't too deeply ingrained in my ass for me to pull out. Also, structurally, this story will alternate between present day and reminiscence chapters, which means this story will flip flop in and out of time. All credit to this idea goes to Scott Lynch, author of the too amazing Gentleman Bastards series. Also, interactions-wise (at least with the protagonist), this will be more like P1 and P2, rather than P3 and P4 (i.e., no Social Links, so everyone's just… together). Speaking of P1, yes. The person Madoka called was _that_ Hidehiko. There will be more on that later._

_Expect a new chapter… sooner or later. Hopefully tonight. Or maybe tomorrow morning. Who knows?_

_I would love you forever if you reviewed._


	2. Reminiscence: Bad Vibes

**Reminiscence: Bad Vibes**

You could imagine Shoutaro Tachibana's surprise when his older-by-two-years brother, Choushiro, had died in a horrible accident. He _told_ him that moving to Tatsumi Port Island was a terrible idea, especially since the Kirijo Group happened to control just about everything there.

The circumstances surrounding the accident were hazy, at best. Cars totaled, fire everywhere – it was like a massacre. And yet, despite it all, Choushiro's daughter had survived with barely a scratch. It made no sense whatsoever. And because both Choushiro and Sanae were gone, the responsibility of caring for their six-year-old daughter naturally fell to the extended family – and Shoutaro was the first on the list.

He'd met little Madoka before, but he could swear she was different now – and why wouldn't she be, after what happened? But there was clearly something wrong with her. For reasons he couldn't explain, there was something about her that seemed to… push him away. A deep, unsettling feeling that only arose in her presence that made Shoutaro want to run away screaming. But Madoka was a normal child, and she just shouldn't have been capable of putting up such a cold, fearsome front.

It drove his own family insane as well. His wife Yuriko would spend hours upon hours at work, if only because she didn't want to deal with Madoka at home. And his daughter Asami was a different story entirely. "Come on, Asami," he coaxed on yet another evening when she refused to eat with Madoka. "Your mother will be home soon. What will she say when she sees that you haven't eaten anything yet?" And Asami just gave a petulant pout in return. At that, he sighed heavily. "Sorry, Madoka. Asami, will you come with me for a minute?"

And with that, he led his daughter into the next room. "Dad, I don't like Madoka," Asami said as soon as they were alone. "She's scary."

"She's just a normal girl, Asami," Shoutaro tried to reason with her. "Like you."

"No she's not!" Asami cried. "Why is she _here_? This isn't her home! Tell her to go back to her own home!"

Shoutaro sighed; there was no way he'd be able to explain this to Asami in a way that she'd understand, or at least not bother Madoka about it. "Asami, she _can't_ go back home. That's why she's here. And why do you have a problem with her _now_? You've met her before, and you never did then."

"When's Mom coming home?"

"I don't know. But please, just try to get along with Madoka."

"No!" Asami screeched. "I _hate_ Madoka!"

From the corner of his eye, Shoutaro could see a small, faint silhouette from behind the sliding door. So Madoka had heard everything… He put one hand on his daughter's shoulder and crouched down so that he was eye-level with her. "Asami, do you want to sleep in our bed tonight?" He could see tears in his daughter's eyes as she flung her arms around his neck. A few minutes later, he opened the sliding door and, sure enough, Madoka was standing there, looking a bit forlorn. "Sorry, Madoka, but will you be okay on your own for tonight? Asami's going to sleep in our bed."

Somehow, Madoka managed to smile, though Shoutaro could easily tell that it was fake. "Yes, Uncle."

Yuriko came home late at night, long after Asami and Madoka had fallen asleep. "I'm home," she called.

"Welcome back," Shoutaro said on impulse. "How was your day?"

Yuriko sighed as she practically flopped down on the couch. "Busy… There was this one customer who just wouldn't…"

And Shoutaro let her talk and talk and talk, but his mind was elsewhere entirely. How was he going to get Asami to warm up to the idea of Madoka living with them? How was he going to find out what exactly it was about Madoka that seemed to drive everyone away, and curb that, if possible? Why did Choushiro have to die and saddle him with his strange daughter, anyway?

A muffled scream snapped him out of his thoughts. He briefly checked the clock – midnight, so for one of the girls to be up meant that one of them had a nightmare or something like that. The scream was followed by muffled sobs – all coming from Madoka's room. "I'll go," Shoutaro whispered to his wife. And with that, he made his way to Madoka and Asami's shared room, and, sure enough, Madoka was there, tangled in the bed sheets and crying.

When he sat down on her bed, Madoka practically scrambled into his arms and clung to him, and he let her, because after all she had been through, this was the least he could do. "I-Is it over?" she whimpered. "A-Are the coffins gone?"

"Coffins?" Shoutaro echoed, confused.

Madoka stared up at him earnestly, and Shoutaro couldn't help but notice that this was the first time since she came to live with them that the strange, cold, fearsome presence about her was gone. "I-I had a nightmare, so I woke up, a-and I went to get water, b-but when I opened the tap, blood came out instead, a-and there were two coffins in the living room and everyone was gone, a-and the phone wouldn't work and the lights wouldn't turn on, a-and—"

"Madoka, what are you talking about?" Shoutaro interrupted her. "Asami and I have been here this whole time. And there are no coffins in the living room. And did you say blood came out of the tap instead of water? Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?"

"No!" Madoka shrieked. "I… That really happened…"

Shoutaro just smiled at her and put one hand on top of her head. "I'm sure you were just having a nightmare. Would you like some tea to help you sleep?"

And, apparently, Madoka had the same dream again the next night, because Yuriko found herself in a similar situation. And again the next night, with Madoka practically clinging to a screaming Asami. And all the while, Shoutaro begged his family not to say anything, because the poor girl was obviously distressed and traumatized about what happened, so there was no reason for the family to hold _that_ against her, of all things.

But when the routine _stopped_, Shoutaro couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong. So at midnight, he made his way over to Madoka's room, only to see her sleeping peacefully and smiling. "So have your nightmares stopped?" he asked her the next morning, and he didn't miss the pointed, distrustful looks Asami and Yuriko sent in her direction.

"No," Madoka replied simply. "But Ryoji-kun was there, so everything was okay."

An imaginary friend, no doubt; a small smile graced Shoutaro's features. "Ryoji-kun?"

Madoka nodded, smiling cheerfully. "Ryoji-kun said that he'd always be there with me, so I'll never be lonely."

"I want to meet this Ryoji-kun," Asami said.

And Madoka just smiled back. "Okay! Ryoji-kun's really nice, so I think you'll like him!"

But later that night, around midnight, Shoutaro suddenly became aware of a sobbing Madoka and a screaming Asami. "You liar!" Asami screeched. "Where's Ryoji-kun? You said I could meet him!"

"I-I don't know…" Madoka whimpered. "B-But… Y-You were gone, a-and—"

"I was here this whole time!"

"Th-The coffin's gone too…"

"There is no coffin! Stop lying!"

But before Shoutaro could stop her, Yuriko interfered. She stormed into the girls' shared room, a furious expression painted on her face. "You…" she whispered to Madoka, her voice shaking with rage. "How dare you? We took you in out of pity, because you had nowhere else to go, but now it looks like you've overstayed your welcome."

"Yuriko!" Shoutaro yelled. "Don't—she's only a child! How can you—"

"I'm sick of this!" Yuriko ranted. "Why… You brought her here without even discussing it with me!"

"She's my brother's daughter, and she has nowhere else to go!" Shoutaro yelled back. "How could I _not_ bring her here?"

"I _hate_ her!" Yuriko screeched. "It's her fault… It's all her fault this is happening!"

At that, Madoka gave a quiet gasp, as if to remind everyone that she was still there. So Shoutaro dragged Yuriko and Asami out of the room, leaving Madoka alone. He didn't miss the way the small girl pulled her knees to her chest, shaking and crying, when he shut the door.

The ensuing fight was tumultuous, but at the end, Shoutaro finally agreed that having Madoka around at home was a horrible idea, and that the family might actually be imploding because of her. So about a week later, arrangements were made for Madoka to live with some relatives on her mother's side. But before she was to leave, Shoutaro decided to talk to her alone. "I'm so sorry things couldn't work out here," he apologized, and if Yuriko and Asami were here, they'd probably insist that Madoka should have been the one apologizing instead of him.

"I'm sorry…" Madoka said, refusing to look into his eyes, and it was obvious that the girl didn't quite know what exactly she was apologizing for.

Shoutaro handed her a small slip of paper. "Here's my number. If you need anything, if you're ever in trouble, just call me, and I'll help you to the best of my abilities."

There were tears in her eyes. "I don't know what I did wrong…"

At that, Shoutaro's heart broke for her, but if she stayed for any longer, then Yuriko and Asami would surely protest. "This is for the best," he said simply.

And for years after she left, he hadn't heard a word about her or from her… until one day, when a cousin of his called. Apparently, Madoka's newest guardian was a cousin from her mother's side – Hidehiko Uesugi, some sort of big shot TV show host who quite suddenly decided to take her in, without giving a clear reason to anyone who asked. And it wasn't like Madoka even stayed with him – he sent her to school at Tatsumi Port Island, allegedly by her request. But by the sound of things, Madoka's other guardians hadn't had much luck with her either, so it was only a matter of time until Uesugi—

_No_, Shoutaro stopped himself. _Madoka is not a bad person. She will be fine._

Or, at least he hoped so.

* * *

_Word count: 4578_


	3. Chapter 2: The Gods and Demons we Harbor

**Chapter 2: The Gods and Demons we Harbor**

Madoka groaned as consciousness slowly returned to her. Her head felt heavy, but she simultaneously felt like she was floating. There was a dull pain in her stomach – hunger, probably – and her throat hurt because it felt so dry. "You're awake!" a familiar voice said from somewhere to her left.

Madoka turned her head to the side, which sapped a good amount of her energy, and, sure enough, her old friend was sitting there, looking relieved. "Yu…kari…"

Yukari sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. "I was so worried about you…"

Madoka's mind worked too slowly, and she could barely keep up with what was happening. Her head still felt like it was stuffed with cotton. "Where am I…?

"This is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital," Yukari explained. "It's just a short walk from the station. You just… uh… Well, you sort of collapsed, and you were out of it for about a week."

Madoka bolted upright. "A week?" But then her head spun, and she fell back onto the hospital cot.

"Hey, you shouldn't get up so fast like that!" Yukari reprimanded. "But yeah. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted…" But something wasn't right. Something had happened – something big; Madoka just couldn't remember what it was. "But your power… It was amazing!"

Everything came back in a rush, making Madoka's head throb. The woman carrying two torches, the dark, cloaked woman, Ryoji urging her shoot herself in the head with a gun with no bullets… "What were those things…?"

"You mean the Shadows?" Yukari asked. "They're what we're fighting against. And that power you used… we call it Persona. We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything before…" Yukari looked downward, wringing her hands together. "Uh, Madoka? I owe you an apology. I've been a horrible friend to you this past week. Keeping secrets, acting all distant…"

That threw Madoka for a loop. Sure, Yukari wasn't as friendly as she was back when they were children, but wasn't it because of Madoka subconsciously pushing her away? "It's okay, Yukari."

"No, it's not okay! We're supposed to be friends, right? I kept telling you that things would be just like the way they were, but I haven't been doing such a good job on my end. And you just moved here, so things must be really hard for you, too. Especially since…"

Madoka smiled sadly, already knowing where Yukari was going with this. "So now you know why I moved away in the first place, huh?"

"But are you really okay, being back here?" Yukari asked concernedly. "I mean, it's hard for _me_, and I only lost my dad, but…"

Madoka sat up, her head feeling a lot clearer. "I just…" She sighed. "I don't know. It was like… _Not_ coming back wasn't an option."

"So you're here for the same reason as me, right?" Yukari asked with a smile. "To find out what really happened."

Misaki stared down at her hands. "I don't really know…"

"Back in '99, there was a huge explosion in the area," Yukari explained. "My dad was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group, and he supposedly died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened. So… I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you. Of course, I panicked and wasn't much help… It was my first time fighting them, too. I'm sorry… You wouldn't have to go through all of this if I wasn't such a coward."

"I was really scared, too," Madoka admitted. "I… I seriously thought you were trying to kill yourself… a-and then there weren't any bullets in the gun, so I couldn't use it against that Shadow thing. And even after that…" Madoka wrapped her arms tightly around herself.

"Okay, you know what?" Yukari said. "Even if you don't want to fight, we'll toughen up. Together. We're not going to let those things beat us. Agreed?"

Madoka smiled and nodded. "Agreed."

"Oh yeah…" Yukari said slowly. "Your cousin's sort of… here."

As if on cue, the door burst open, and a red-haired man wearing a grey suit and a matching grey hat strolled in. "How's it going, dear cousin of mine? The great and mighty Brown-sama is here!"

"Um…" Madoka mumbled. "Yukari, this is my cousin Hidehiko."

"Yeah, I know," Yukari said in a deadpan.

Hidehiko pat Madoka on the head almost patronizingly. "You need to take it easy, Madoka-chan. I mean, collapsing from exhaustion? That's no way to go about things!"

"I'm sorry for the trouble," Madoka said reflexively.

Hidehiko pat her head again. "No trouble at all, Madoka-chan. Just promise you'll take better care of yourself."

Madoka stared downward. "Okay…"

"Now, I need to go," Hidehiko said. "My train leaves in half an hour. See you around, Madoka-chan!"

Madoka smiled faintly at him. "Bye…"

As soon as he left, Madoka saw just how wide Yukari's eyes were. "Wow… He's, uh…"

"Yeah," Madoka replied flatly.

* * *

"So, you're finally back," Ms. Toriumi said before school the next day. "I was worried about you. I heard you collapsed from exhaustion. I wonder if it's because of all your recent changes…"

Madoka clasped her hands tightly together. "Yeah…"

"But I'm equally worried about your academics," Ms. Toriumi said. "You missed an entire week – that hurts."

"I-Is there anything I can do to make up the work?" Madoka asked.

Ms. Toriumi just laughed. "Don't worry. I'll come up with something. For now, there's some homework you can do." She handed Madoka a particularly thick file. "There's some study guides in there, too."

Madoka smiled as she put it neatly in her schoolbag. "I'll get this done as soon as possible."

"But be careful not to overdo it," Ms. Toriumi warned. "Otherwise, you'll collapse again."

"Thanks, Ms. Toriumi," Madoka said sincerely. And with that, she stepped out of the faculty office.

For reasons she couldn't understand, Junpei was waiting outside for her, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "'Sup?" he greeted casually. "Haven't seen _you_ in a while, Madoka-chan. Did you get sick or something?"

Madoka smiled at him. "Or something," she said.

"Anyway, guess what?" Junpei said excitedly. "… Actually, I'm not supposed to say anything."

"_Such_ a disappointment, Junpei," Madoka heard Yukari say as her friend walked over. "Hey, Madoka."

"Wait, so you guys live in the same dorm, but you came separately?" Junpei asked, sounding incredulous.

"Oh, I left early because I wanted to talk to Ms. Toriumi before school," Madoka explained.

"Anyway, bye Junpei," Yukari said quickly as she grabbed Madoka's arm and dragged her away from Junpei. "So, are you feeling better?"

"I'm still a little tired, but I'll be fine," Madoka replied.

"So sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning, but Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you today," Yukari said. "Come to the fourth floor of the dorm after school today, okay? Don't forget."

And Madoka complied, making her way to the dorm's fourth floor right after school. Sure enough, Ikutsuki, Mitsuru, Yukari, and a silver-haired boy whom Madoka didn't know were there waiting for her. "Ah, so glad you could make it," Ikutsuki said pleasantly. "I'm glad you're okay. I wasn't sure what I'd do if anything had happened to you."

"Thanks for your concern, Ikutsuki-san," Madoka said, "but I'm fine now."

Ikutsuki smiled warmly. "That's good to hear. Anyway, the reason I called you here is because I need to talk to you about something." Madoka raised her eyebrows. "Don't worry – you're not in trouble. But please, have a seat." Yukari scooted over and pat the seat next to her, which Madoka gratefully took. "I believe I mentioned him before, but this is Akihiko."

"How you doin'?" the boy greeted casually.

Madoka smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

"Now, allow me to ask you this," Ikutsuki said. "Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than twenty-four hours." Madoka stiffened, clenching her fists.

"You've already experienced this truth first-hand," Mitsuru said with a smile.

Madoka stared at her feet. This had to be some sort of trap – there was no other reason they'd ask her about… "Are you making fun of me?"

"Excuse me?" Mitsuru replied, her tone more serious. "This isn't some joke, Tachibana."

"Then why are you—" Madoka started, and this was so wrong because there was no way they'd actually believe her about the twenty-fifth hour, let alone experience it themselves.

"Uh, Mitsuru-senpai," Yukari quipped. "I think she's really…" She exhaled sharply. "Look, Madoka. This weird twenty-fifth hour? We all know about it. It's not just you."

"Oh, so that's what it was…" Mitsuru mused before bowing her head to Madoka. "My apologies. I was under the impression that you were mocking us."

"I-I'm sorry…" Madoka said quietly. "But… You guys know about it too?"

"The Dark Hour," Mitsuru said sharply. "A period of time hidden between one day and the next."

"It occurs every night, when the clock strikes twelve," Ikutsuki explained.

"Normal people don't realize it," Akihiko added. "They're all sleeping inside their coffins."

"So those coffins are actual _people_?" Madoka asked. "I thought… Everyone disappeared, and those coffins showed up, s-so… I didn't know…"

"Wait, how long have you known about the Dark Hour?" Yukari asked.

"Since I was really little," Madoka replied. "Ever since I moved away from Port Island."

"Oh…" Yukari said slowly. "That's… a lot longer than I've known about it."

"But that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting," Akihiko continued, smirking. "You saw those creatures. We call them Shadows. They only appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. Sounds exciting, huh?"

"Akihiko, why are you always like that?" Mitsuru snapped. "You just got hurt the other day!"

"But how come I never got attacked until last week?" Madoka asked. "I knew about it for so long…"

"Well, it's hard to say…" Ikutsuki said. "But I'm willing to bet that it has a lot to do with your Persona. Maybe it's been protecting you all these years. Anyway, long story short, we're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad. SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club, but our true purpose is to defeat the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader, and I'm the club advisor."

"A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey," Mitsuru said. "Its victim becomes a living corpse. Surely you've heard of the affliction Apathy Syndrome – Shadows are responsible for it."

"And…" Madoka said slowly. "You fight Shadows using your Persona."

"Correct," Ikutsuki said with a smile. "Incidentally, Persona users are the only ones who can defeat Shadows. That means that it's all up to you guys."

Mitsuru lifted a case that was sitting innocently on the table and handed it to Madoka. Inside was a gun much like Yukari's, gleaming uncannily. "What he means to say is, we want you to join us," Mitsuru said. "We've prepared an Evoker for you. We'd like you to lend us your strength."

"I…" Madoka mumbled, swallowing hard as she stared at the gun – the Evoker – in her lap. "I don't know…"

"You don't have to make such a huge decision right away," Akihiko assured her. "There are some operations we'd like to try out, so just come to those for now. You can back out whenever you want."

Madoka sighed. "Okay… I guess… I don't know how much help I can be, though."

"Any help at all is enough," Ikutsuki said, smiling. "Now, Miss Takeba tells me you have quite a bit of schoolwork to catch up on. Why don't you work on that for a bit, and then turn in early? You shouldn't overdo it, so soon after being released from the hospital."

"Okay," Madoka said. "Um… See you, I guess…" But somehow, despite all that had happen, it was as if nothing had changed at all.

* * *

Madoka lost track of time while working on the large file Ms. Toriumi had given her earlier, and the lights flickered off without warning as the Dark Hour started. Madoka sighed as she promptly dropped her pencil, leaning back in her desk chair. "You look tired, Madoka. Are you all right?"

She didn't even need to look to know that it was Ryoji who'd spoken up from behind her, even though it _had_ been a while since she'd last spoken to him. "I'm okay," she assured him.

Ryoji sighed, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and resting his head on top of hers. "I'm worried, Madoka. You've awakened to your power, and still…"

Madoka looked up at him and stared into his grey-blue eyes. "Is something wrong, Ryoji-kun?"

"The end is coming," he said solemnly. "I can feel it."

"The end of what?" Madoka asked.

"Everything," Ryoji whispered. "It's… strange. I don't want the end to come."

"How is that strange?"

Ryoji gave her a weak smile. "Never mind. I'll tell you later. Right now, you should get some rest."

"I'm nowhere near done, Ryoji-kun."

"It's not nice of your teacher to expect you to finish a week's worth of missed schoolwork in a day."

Madoka sighed and made her way to her bed, thankful that she'd decided to change before getting started on schoolwork. "I guess you're right…" Her eyelids felt heavy, and she could feel herself drifting off, but Ryoji was still there, stroking her hair and smiling down at her.

And the scene was so familiar and so calming that she didn't want it to end. "I'm happy for you, Madoka. You don't look so lonely anymore. Soon, you won't even need _me_ anymore…" He planted a kiss on her forehead.

_But I'll still be with you. Always, and forever._

* * *

_Word count: 6896_


	4. Reminiscence: The Boy in the Darkness

**Reminiscence: The Boy in the Darkness**

The first time Madoka ever interacted with Ryoji was when she was living with her uncle Shoutaro, shortly after she moved away from Tatsumi Port Island. What she now knew was the Dark Hour was the scariest, most frightening time imaginable for her at the time – and she'd always invariably wake up either right before it occurred, or in the middle of it.

And, really, it was _horrifying_. The lights wouldn't turn on, everyone was gone, and there were blood and coffins everywhere. And each and every time it happened, Madoka would curl in on herself, shaking and crying and muttering to herself that it was only a dream, and that it would be over soon. And invariably, each and every night, it would end soon enough, then Uncle Shoutaro would come in and ask her why she was crying, and then the cycle would begin anew. Once, she tried telling Uncle Shoutaro exactly what it was she saw – but of course, he thought it was only a nightmare.

_ Ugh, Mom, she keeps screaming at night! Make her stop!_

_ Don't pay any attention to her, Asami. She's only doing it for the attention._

_ When is she gonna _leave_?_

_ I'll talk to your father. There's got to be someone else who'll take her in. I can't handle this._

And then, one night, everything changed. Madoka _wasn't_ alone, because there was a boy around her age there with her – a boy with black hair and pale skin and the prettiest blue-grey eyes she'd ever seen. "Why are you sad?" he asked her the night she first met him.

"I'm scared…" she whimpered.

"Yes, but you're also sad," the boy insisted. "I can feel it." He sat down across from her and looked her straight in the eye, his expression emotionless. "So tell me. Why are you sad?"

"I'm not—"

"Yes you are. I can feel it."

And at that, Madoka started crying – and not because of the Dark Hour. "I want Mommy and Daddy… Why did they have to leave?"

"They left you?" the boy asked, tilting his head to the side, even though his expression barely changed. "Why?"

Madoka sniffled and rubbed her nose. "Th-The doctor said they had to go to heaven… Why didn't they take me with them? Why did they leave me behind…?" She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. "I want to go home… Let me go home…"

The boy put one hand on her shoulder. "Do you really want to go to heaven and be with your parents? Well I can make that happen."

Madoka lifted her head slightly and stared at him in astonishment. "You _can_?"

The boy smiled cryptically at her. "Yes, of course!"

"Hm…" Madoka said slowly as she dried her eyes with the backs of her hands. "If I leave now, then it'll cause problems for Uncle. And…" The implications of what this boy was offering her finally occurred to her. "Y-You're going to kill me? I don't want to die!"

The boy tilted his head to the side, his smile fading. "You don't want to die?" he asked. "That's strange. I thought all humans wanted to die."

Madoka curled in on herself. "Please don't kill me…"

The boy smiled. "I won't if you don't want me to," he assured her.

Madoka smiled back. "Thank you, um… what's your name?"

The boy stared upward. "I don't know… I don't have one. What do you _want_ to call me?"

"Um… How about…" In the end, the name Madoka picked came almost randomly – it was the name of some supposedly famous professor who attended her father's old university, Kyoto University. "Ryoji-kun?"

"Ryoji…" the boy said slowly. "I like it."

"Um, Ryoji-kun?" Madoka whispered. "C-Can you stay with me until the lights come back on? I… I don't want to be alone…"

The boy, now Ryoji, hugged her tightly, and Madoka hugged him back. "No matter what, I'll still be with you, Madoka. Always, and forever."

* * *

_Word count: 7564_


	5. Chapter 3: The High Priestess

**Chapter 3: The High Priestess**

Madoka couldn't believe her eyes when she and Yukari walked into the fourth floor lounge the next day after school. "Junpei-kun?"

The boy in the hat chuckled. "What's up?"

"Junpei?" Yukari shrieked. "Why are _you_ here?"

"This is Junpei Iori from Class 2-F," Akihiko, who was sitting next to Junpei, said calmly. "He'll be staying here as of today."

"Oh…" Madoka said slowly. "Is he…?"

"_He's_ staying _here_?" Yukari demanded. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"I bumped into him the other night," Akihiko said. "He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently. I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

"_You_ have the potential?" Yukari asked. "For real?"

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins," Junpei said a bit embarrassedly, chuckling. "But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kind of lonely, ya know."

Yukari groaned as her hand connected with her forehead. "I don't believe this…"

Suddenly, the door flew open, and Ikutsuki strolled in. "Ah, you're all here," he said fleetingly. "Excuse me, but I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona users we had. But recently, that number jumped to five. Therefore, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus at midnight tonight."

"Tartarus?" Madoka echoed. "Like the underworld?"

"Oh, you haven't seen it either, huh Madoka?" Yukari asked.

"Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour," Akihiko explained. "Just like the Shadows. Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train – you can think of it as a Shadow nest.

"But Senpai," Yukari protested. "What about your injury?"

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet," Mitsuru answered for him, "he'll only come as far as the entrance."

"Yeah, I know…" Akihiko grumbled.

"Relax!" Junpei said. "I've got your backs."

"I'm not so sure about this…" Yukari mumbled.

And, as it turned out, Tartarus was Gekkoukan High. It was surreal, watching the school shift and grow, taller and taller until it was a massive tower, nothing like Madoka's new school. "This is Tartarus," Mitsuru said. "The labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour."

"A-And at the end of the Dark Hour, it just goes back to normal, right?" Madoka asked.

"But why?" Junpei almost yelled. "Why our school?"

Mitsuru fell silent. "I don't know."

"I'm sure It's complicated," Yukari said helpfully.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Akihiko asked. "Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek, but this will be our first time actually _exploring_ it."

"Akihiko, I respect your enthusiasm," Mitsuru said, "but you won't be accompanying us today."

"I know," Akihiko almost whined. "You don't have to remind me." They walked inside, and Madoka could see what appeared to be a grand hall. But despite how beautiful it was, everything felt… _wrong_, somehow. "First, we'll have you three get a feel for this place."

"What?" Yukari gasped. "By ourselves?"

"We're not asking you to go very far," Mitsuru said. "Besides – I'll be feeding you information from here."

"Also, there's going to be a leader, in case any necessary decisions arise," Akihiko said.

"We were thinking Takeba, since she's technically been here the longest," Mitsuru said.

"N-No way!" Yukari shrieked. "I… I can't! I'll screw up!"

"In that case, would you be more comfortable if Tachibana led the operation?" Mitsuru asked.

"Huh?" Madoka mumbled. "Me?"

"Wait a minute!" Junpei interjected. "But she's a girl! You're _both_ girls!"

"A very astute observation, Iori," Mitsuru deadpanned.

"Well she _has_ fought them before," Yukari pointed out.

"I-I can't!" Madoka protested. "What if…"

"Oh…" Yukari said slowly, before smiling reassuringly at Madoka. "Don't worry, Madoka. If what happened last week happens again, we'll take care of you."

"What happened last week?" Junpei asked. "Wait a minute… Is _that_ why you got sick for a week?"

"Hurry it up," Akihiko urged them. "We have less than an hour before we need to get out."

"Oh, right," Junpei said. "Well, let's go, Madoka-chan!" And with that, he and Yukari all but pushed Madoka into the tower, with a halfhearted promise from Mitsuru to watch over them from the entrance with her Persona. "So, this is it, huh?"

"I hope I don't get lost," Yukari mused.

"Are you really okay with me… leading this?" Madoka asked.

"Can you all hear me?" Mitsuru's voice sounded from a device on Yukari's wrist. "I'll be providing audio backup from here on out. I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. Outside support is imperative."

"Well _that_ makes me feel a lot better," Yukari deadpanned.

"When do you want us back, Senpai?" Madoka asked.

"Just scour the first floor," Mitsuru instructed. "It shouldn't take you very long. Come back when you're finished dealing with all the Shadows on this floor. If time runs out before then, I'll call you back."

"Oh hey, there's one right there!" Junpei said excitedly, gripping his Evoker tightly. Sure enough, a tiny black Shadow was slithering over to them.

"Sorry," Madoka said quietly. "Can I…?"

"C'mon, I need _experience_!" Junpei protested.

"Let her deal with this one, Iori," Mitsuru said calmly. "There were some complications when she first awakened to her Persona. Hopefully, those complications will not persist."

Madoka took a deep breath and held the Evoker to her head. _It's not a real gun_, she reminded herself. _There aren't any bullets. You'll be fine._ When she pulled the trigger, there was a rush of power as a robed woman with two torches and a dog surrounding her appeared in front of her. _Huh? I thought she was carrying the torches… Was I really that out of it?_ Still, she clenched her fists and frowned determinedly. But, unlike the previous time, there was no pain, no dark figure rising out from Hecate. _Life drain?_ And in seconds, the Shadow was gone.

She could hear Yukari sigh in relief from behind her. "So no complications this time," Mitsuru said, sounding relieved. "Very well. Carry on."

* * *

"Man, I'm beat," Junpei complained, just as Madoka yawned.

"You said it," Yukari muttered.

"Please welcome the new president, Mitsuru Kirijo from Class 3-D," said a girl on the stage at the auditorium.

"Oh, so she _did_ get elected…" Yukari mused. "Well, I guess she _is_ the most popular girl in school."

"You can say that again," Junpei muttered. "There's, like… some kinda _aura_ around her. Besides – this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?"

Madoka watched as Mitsuru walked to the podium. "As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year," Mitsuru said confidently. "It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation and re-evaluate your convictions to imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I'm certain that many of you have your own visions of the future. For us to reap the benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

And Madoka started clapping before she even realized what she was doing. "Damn…" Junpei said, whistling. "That was freakin' amazing… Uh… What was she talking about?"

"She said we all need to give back to the school, and make a commitment to change it for the better," Madoka answered easily.

"Really?" Junpei mumbled, sounding awed. "Damn, Madoka-chan. You actually got her speech?"

Realizing what she had done, Madoka just smiled sheepishly at him.

* * *

And so, the days flew by, and the routine Madoka had started on the first week of school flew right out the window, and her days were filled primarily with school and Tartarus training. But then, all the consecutive nights of training in Tartarus finally caught up to her, and she started sniffling and sneezing shortly after school one day.

Yukari stared down at the papers she was carrying. "Why'd Akihiko-senpai want the roster for Class 2-E anyway?"

"Why'd you two have to come with me?" Junpei moaned. "Senpai asked _me_ to bring it to him!"

Yukari scoffed. "Yeah, only because you don't have anything to do after school."

"Oh yeah?" Junpei shot back. "Then why didn't he ask Madoka-chan? It's not like _she_ does stuff after school either."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Yukari said sarcastically. "I thought you'd have, you know, seen her lock herself in her room after school every day so she can study?"

"I'm sorry," Madoka quipped. "I just want to get it out of the way so that training in Tartarus doesn't affect it too much." She sighed. "I wonder if Senpai's okay…"

"Word on the street's that it's just a checkup," Junpei said.

"Or…" Yukari drawled. "Maybe Senpai told you that himself?"

"That works too," Junpei said flatly. By now, they were at the hospital, and they made their way up to a room on the third floor. But instead of Akihiko, there was another boy there – a taller boy wearing a dark red coat and a dark grey hat. "Uh, is Akihiko-senpai… in this room? By any chance?"

As if on cue, the door opened behind them, and Akihiko entered the hospital room, his left arm resting in a sling. "What are all of you guys doing here?"

"Are you okay, Senpai?" Madoka asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Akihiko replied. "I'm just here for a checkup."

"Is that it, Aki?" the boy sitting on the bed asked in a low voice.

"Yeah," Akihiko said, his expression suddenly serious. "Thanks."

The unfamiliar boy scoffed. "I don't have time for this shit…" He stood up and stalked over to the door, but then stopped in front of Madoka, regarding her with a narrow-eyed gaze. "You…"

Madoka involuntarily took a step back. The boy was so tall, he towered over her. Despite how menacing he looked, Madoka couldn't detect any malice or ill will from him. "U-Um…"

The boy simply shook his head. "Never mind." And with that, he was gone.

"Wh-Who was that?" Junpei stammered.

"A friend from school," Akhiko replied. "… sort of. You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been increasing lately? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was just asking him about it."

Madoka stared at the floor. "Are all those people going to be okay…?"

"I guess we'll see," Akihiko said. "So, Junpei, did you bring what I asked?

"Of course!" Junpei replied excitedly, taking the papers from Yukari and handing it to him.

Akihiko looked down at the papers for a brief moment before grinning. "Great, thanks. Sorry for the trouble. Hold this for a minute, will you?" He handed the papers to Yukari and proceeded to pull the sling off.

"H-Hey, maybe you shouldn't move your arm," Junpei warned.

"There's no point," Akihiko replied, more to himself than to Junpei. "I've wasted enough time as it is. I need to get back to training. Why don't we get going?"

Madoka trailed behind the group as they strolled out of the hospital. "By the way, Senpai," Yukari said. "Why boxing?"

"You mean, why did I choose the sport?" Akihiko clarified. "Well, it's not so much the sport itself. I just wanted to learn how to fight." His expression turned forlorn. "I know what it's like to feel powerless… and I don't want to feel that way ever again. Besides, I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game – only it's only me competing."

But Madoka couldn't stop thinking about that boy – Akihiko's friend. Did she know him from somewhere? Did _he_ know _her_? Did he maybe recognize her from back when she lived in Port Island before? "You don't talk much, do you?"

It took an embarrassingly long time for Madoka to realize that Akihiko was talking to her now. "Oh, I… Sorry…"

"Don't worry about it," Akihiko said with a smile.

"Yeah, Madoka-chan!" Junpei agreed. "No need to hold back with us! We're your friends, right?"

"Really?" Madoka couldn't help but ask. "But I've only known you for about a week."

Junpei slung one arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, why not?"

And at that, Madoka couldn't help but smile. "Thank you…" But the moment was ruined when she sneezed a few seconds later.

Junpei sighed. "Man… Guess we're not going to Tartarus today…"

* * *

That night, Madoka decided to go to bed early after taking some cold medicine – but that didn't stop Ryoji from waking her up. It was the first time he'd woken her up at all – normally, he'd be there, just a calming presence in the middle of the Dark Hour, and she could talk to him whenever she wanted. But tonight…

"Madoka," he whispered as he shook her by the shoulder. "Wake up." She sat up slowly, blinking blearily at him. She could only breathe out of one nostril, and it felt like there was a particularly large lump in her throat. "Sorry to wake you, but… a full moon is coming."

"A full moon?" Madoka echoed, though in a much more nasal tone. "What's the big deal?"

"Something's going to happen," Ryoji told her. "But… I don't know what, exactly. Madoka, I… I'm worried."

Madoka was at a loss for words. Ryoji had always been the one to comfort her, but this was the first time he'd ever shared his fears and concerns with her. "I'm sure it'll be fine," she assured him. "Whatever it is, I can deal with it."

"I hope so," Ryoji said. "You should get back to sleep. Whatever it is you're going to face, you shouldn't do so with a cold."

And for the next few nights, Ryoji didn't appear – and thankfully, Madoka's cold was gone as well. Finally, as the Dark Hour rolled around, she found herself with the rest of SEES in the dormitory's command room. "We're here!" Yukari announced.

"Where is it?" Junpei asked excitedly. "I'll rip it a new one!"

"We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus," Mitsuru said urgently. "We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one."

"And we only have an hour to defeat it…" Madoka said quietly.

"We need to defeat it sooner, if possible," Mitsuru said. "Most people don't know that the Dark Hour exists, but if half the city is destroyed, then there will be panic."

"So we just need to kick some ass, right?" Junpei asked. "Count me in!" Yukari simply scoffed at him.

"Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the chairman," Mitsuru instructed.

"What, are you kidding?" the third year retorted. "I'm going!"

Mitsuru frowned sternly at him, slamming her hand down on the table. "You still need to recover. You'll just be a hindrance – they'll fare better than you in your current state."

"But—"

"Have faith in them, Akihiko," Mitsuru said seriously. "They're ready."

"Relax!" Junpei said cockily. "I've got this covered!"

Akihiko sighed. "Seems I have no choice… Madoka, you're in charge."

"Her again?" Junpei whined.

"B-But this is—"

"I know you can do this," Akihiko said seriously. "The stakes are higher, but the situation is almost the same as it is in Tartarus."

"It's not like you'll be doing much," Yukari said. "In Tartarus, you get to decide when we stop and how far we go, but here, we don't have a choice. We _have_ to defeat this Shadow, and we can't leave until we do."

Madoka sighed. "O-Okay…"

"So I guess it's pretty much decided that you're our leader, huh?" Junpei asked. "Even though I'm the only guy in the group."

Mitsuru glared sharply at him. "Whether one is a man or a woman doesn't factor into it. The responsibility falls to those who have the gift. And let me add, if you _ever_ say or do anything to condescend her because she's a woman…"

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Junpei backtracked immediately. "It's not like I look _down_ on her or anything…"

* * *

Madoka shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself. The monorail where Mitsuru found the Shadow was completely empty, save for the coffins here and there and the occasional splotches of red. In a way, it was even scarier now than it was when she was a child because two other people were with her, perfectly aware of what was going on, and Ryoji was nowhere to be seen. _Was this what he meant when he said that something was going to happen on the night of the full moon…?_

Then, all of a sudden, all the doors shut, making Madoka jump. "What is it?" came Mitsuru's voice from the device on Yukari's wrist. "What's wrong?"

"It looks like we're trapped inside," Yukari told her, sounding only slightly panicked.

"It must be the Shadow…" Mitsuru mused. "It knows you're there. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution, and stick together!" And for a while, the three of them just ran forward, and Madoka's heart sank with every coffin she saw. Then, somewhere along the way, a Shadow dropped down in front of them, glaring at them, before drifting away, further down the monorail.

"Get back here!" Junpei yelled.

"Wait!" Mitsuru barked. "Something's not right. The enemy is acting strangely."

"But if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!" Junpei protested.

"What say you, Tachibana?" Mitsuru asked. "You're in charge."

The words died in Madoka's throat. "We… I… I don't…"

"Fine!" Junpei snapped. "I'll go after it myself! You guys just stay back, and watch me beat it all by myself!" He took off running after the Shadow before Madoka could get a word in.

"Junpei, you idiot!" Yukari screeched.

"Look out!" Mitsuru called. "Behind you!" Sure enough, a Shadow similar to the one Junpei followed was behind them, its tentacles a little to close to Madoka for comfort.

"Hang on!" Yukari yelled as she summoned her Persona, engulfing the Shadow in wind. "This is just what the enemy wanted!"

"You have no choice," Mitsuru said. "You have to go after him, or you'll be picked off one by one."

"Dammit, Stupei!" Yukari ranted. "What were you thinking?"

"From what I can tell, he's only a few cars ahead," Mitsuru said helpfully.

"Okay, so we'll just catch up to—" Yukari started, only to scream when two more Shadows popped into view. "Get out of our way!" Madoka summoned her Persona this time, slicing through both Shadows. And with that, they ran ahead without abandon. Madoka refused to look anywhere but ahead – Mitsuru would warn her if there were Shadows nearby anyway. At long last, they found Junpei surrounded by Shadows, his Persona struggling to keep up with the assault.

"Junpei-kun!" Madoka cried as she summoned Hecate.

"You idiot!" Yukari yelled. And, in no time at all, the Shadows were vanquished. "See? This is what happens when you don't listen!"

"Are you okay, Junpei-kun?" Madoka asked, putting one hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged off her hand almost violently. "Of course I am! I was doin' just fine!"

"I-I'm sorry," Madoka said. "I didn't mean to—" She gasped when the monorail suddenly shook, moving forward. "Wh-What's going on?"

"It seems the monorail is under the enemy's control," Mitsuru said much too calmly.

"Whaddya mean 'it seems'?" Yukari demanded. And as the train seemed to move faster and faster, all Madoka could feel was dread.

"If we don't stop that thing, it'll crash into another train!" Mitsuru yelled. "Calm down and listen. I sense a strong presence in the front car. That must be the one we're after. You'll have to defeat it to stop the train!"

"What kind of messed up ride is this?" Junpei demanded as he, Yukari, and Madoka ran forward. At long last, they reached the front car, where a giant half-black half-white Shadow sat, hair-like appendages flying out on either side of its head. "Is this the friggin' boss?"

"It's gotta be!" Yukari replied.

"Hurry!" Mitsuru shouted.

This Shadow was, without a doubt, the strongest Madoka had ever faced. No matter how many times she lowered its defenses, no matter how many times Yukari's Persona flung gusts of wind at it, no matter how many times Junpei's Persona cleaved at it, it refused to go down. But somehow, after some time, it finally relented, disappearing much like ordinary Shadows. Only…

"Why are we still moving?"

"We have to put on the brakes or else!"

"What are you waiting for? There's a train up ahead!"

Madoka sank to her knees as a gruesome image resurfaced to her mind – an explosion, her parents screaming, unable to stop the car, her mother's body practically thrown over hers in an attempt to shield her from the ensuing crash…

"Dammit, I don't know how to stop this thing!" Junpei yelled.

"Wh-What are we gonna do?" Yukari wailed. And the worst part was that Madoka couldn't even move.

And then, all of a sudden, the door to the train car flew open, and a tall boy stormed inside. It was hard to tell through the images flying through her mind, but Madoka was almost sure that it was the boy from Akihiko's hospital room. The boy eyed the various levers and yanked hard on one. When the train kept moving forward, he growled in frustration and slammed his fist down on the nearest surface.

He jerked his hand out toward Junpei. "Give me that!"

"What, this?" Junpei asked, lifting his Evoker slightly. "Wha—hey!"

The boy snatched the Evoker from Junpei's hand and pointed it toward his head, pulling the trigger. "Don't fuck up this time Castor. Buy us some time." What appeared to be a figure riding a horse materialized outside the train car, throwing itself in between the moving train car and the stationary one up ahead. The boy fiddled with the various buttons and levers some more, with no success. The train car shook as it made contact with the boy's Persona, and the boy finally yanked down hard on a particularly large lever. Yukari screamed as the train finally screeched to a halt. For several agonizingly slow seconds, upon which the boy dropped the Evoker and turned around to regard everyone in the train car with a fierce scowl, no one said anything.

"I-Is everyone all right?" Mitsuru asked shakily.

The boy held his hand out in front of Yukari. "Give me that," he said, eyeing the device on her wrist. Yukari took it off and handed it to him without complaint. The boy lifted the device to just below his mouth and roared: "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Shinjiro…" Mitsuru whispered on the other line. "I didn't realize you were there."

"What were you thinking, sending rookies out on a mission like this?" the boy, Shinjiro, shouted.

"Akihiko is injured," Mitsuru explained. "And I—"

Shinjiro crushed the device in one hand. "Forget it," he muttered.

* * *

Somehow, Madoka made it back to the dorm, dazed and shocked as she was. Yukari and Junpei had gone straight to bed, but sleep remained stubbornly out of her grasp, so she waited by the command room with her knees drawn to her chest, listening intently to the argument between Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Shinjiro. "You lost all right to tell us what and what not to do when you left, _Aragaki_!" Mitsuru yelled, and Madoka couldn't recall a time she'd ever heard the third year sound so angry and exasperated. "Yes, I appreciate your help, but don't meddle in our affairs!"

"Just out of curiosity, who was the _leader_ this time around?" Shinjiro sneered.

"Madoka," Akihiko answered him like he was talking to a petulant child. "Madoka Tachibana."

"Oh, so the one who completely _froze up_."

"Don't you _dare_ blaming, Shinji."

"I'm not. I'm blaming _you two_. You should know better!"

"Get out," Mitsuru snapped. "Get out of the dorm. You're not welcome here, _Aragaki_." Madoka could swear that Mitsuru was forcing herself to not call him "Shinjiro," as she had when they first spoke earlier.

Shinjiro stormed out of the command room, and he spotted Madoka right away. "You heard everything." It wasn't even a question.

Madoka stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "Yeah… Um… Thank you so much for saving us, a-and… I-I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help…"

Shinjiro simply shook his head before putting one hand on top of Madoka's head. "It ain't your fault," he said before stalking away.

Akihiko and Mitsuru came outside soon after Shinjiro left, their expressions forlorn. "Tachibana, you—" Mitsuru started as soon as she saw the second year.

"I can't do this anymore," Madoka whispered. "I…" She could feel tears stinging her eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. "Please don't make me lead operations anymore. I… I can't…" And again, the words died in her throat, but there was so much more she wanted to say.

_I almost got everyone killed._

_ We almost died…_

_ … and it's all my fault…_

* * *

_Word count: 11778_


	6. Reminiscence: Heroes and Damsels

**Reminiscence: Heroes and Damsels**

The new girl was definitely one of those damsel-in-distress types, Junpei concluded after knowing her for a grand total of one day – actually, not even, since the first day of school was a short one. Straight brown hair with perfectly even bangs, darker brown eyes, pale purple sweater over her school uniform – she was the poster child for every weak little girl who needed saving. And the hero who would save her would be him, naturally.

Madoka Tachibana was a quiet one – exceedingly polite, almost to a fault, but still reserved beyond belief, to the point where Junpei couldn't tell what was going on in her head at all. And the more he tried to talk to her, the more distant she'd become.

Come to think of it, there was something a little off about her…

He didn't really notice it at first, but there was something about her that was almost… _scary_. Like she was trying to push him away. It didn't make any sense at all, and yet it made all the sense in the world. But whatever creepy thing she was doing to him, Junpei wouldn't back down so easily. So when he persevered in getting to know her and to worm his way into her good graces, he did so with a purpose.

And then, she was gone for a week.

Junpei was almost convinced that she'd transferred out of Gekkoukan High, as if the whole place scared the crap out of her and she wanted out, like right this very second. But still, _asking_ about her couldn't hurt, could it? So when he poked Yukari in the arm after class, he did so with a purpose. "Hey, Yuka-tan," he whispered, poking her incessantly with his pencil.

"What do you want, Junpei?" she asked in a deadpan.

"So, about Madoka-chan…"

"She's sick, so she stayed home."

"Oh really? D'ya think she'd appreciate a visitor?"

"Nope."

"Aw c'mon, Yuka-tan. Don't be like that."

"Don't tell me you want all the gross details."

"I wouldn't mind gross details."

Yukari groaned in exasperation. "No. _No_. She has the flu, so she's being quarantined. How hard is that to believe?"

"Aw, so I _can't_ visit her?"

"What have I been saying this whole time?"

"But I'm sure she'll appreciate the company."

Yukari slammed her hands down on her desk at this. "God damn it, Junpei! She's sick, okay? Leave her alone!"

And then, something suddenly occurred to him. "Wait a minute… It's not _so_ bad that it's got you _worried_, is it?"

"What?" Yukari glared at him. "You're out of your mind."

But by now, the answer was even more obvious. "You _are_ worried!"

Yukari leveled him with a flat stare. "And your point is?"

Junpei leaned back in his seat, throwing his arms behind his head. "Aw, so the ice-cold Yuka-tan has a heart after all!" The glare she gave him at that could have frozen over the desert.

Then the Dark Hour happened. It all started out innocently enough – Junpei's father was to be home late that night, something that could either be wonderful or disastrous. Just to be safe, he stuffed a fake ID in his pocket and made his way to the convenience store, ready to buy his father's favorite, albeit rather expensive, booze. And then, all of a sudden, all the lights flickered off, and all the people around him disappeared, leaving coffins in their wake. Well, of course he was going to cry then – after all, everything around him was like something straight out of a horror film.

He didn't expect anyone to come by then, let alone Akihiko freaking Sanada. What the most popular guy in school was doing at the convenience store in the dead of night, looking perfectly calm and composed as he casually strolled between the coffins, Junpei had no freaking idea. But hey, having Akihiko as his savior was better than having nobody at all. So when Akihiko got a little closer to his hiding place, he let out the weakest, most pathetic whimper he could muster – which didn't take much effort at all, come to think of it. A promise that sounded too sincere to come from someone like Akihiko, and Junpei was now part of the team. He now had full rights to shoot himself in the head with a fake gun.

_Hermes, huh? How fitting._

And then, a little later, Madoka was back, her face a bit paler than normal, but otherwise unharmed and reasonably healthy-looking. And if anything, seeing her like this just reaffirmed Junpei's first impression of her – that she was someone who needed to be protected, even if she didn't want any protection herself.

_Oh yeah, we recently got two new members, and both of them are your year – Yukari Takeba and Madoka Tachibana. Do you know them?_

But then, everything Junpei thought he knew about Madoka was promptly shattered the first night they went into Tartarus – she didn't look it, but that girl was _strong_. Or, at least, her Persona was. Creepy-ass Hecate. It really didn't make sense that something so scary and menacing could come out of someone so sweet and innocent-looking. But then again, Madoka wasn't everything that she seemed. Neither was Yukari, or Akihiko, or Mitsuru.

_So much for first impressions._

And then, she became the leader… Well, that wasn't entirely accurate. She didn't so much _lead_ the group as shrug her shoulders and go "okay, I guess" when important decisions had to be made… which wasn't that often to begin with.

And then the _train incident_ happened. He couldn't even think of his first battle against such a strong Shadow because what happened with the _freaking train_ was too hard to forget. _He_ should've been the leader. If he was the leader, he would've found a way to stop the train _without_ Shinjiro-senpai having to interfere.

_So much for stopping the train. You _all_ froze up when you were about to die._

* * *

_Word count: 12772_


	7. Chapter 4: Fuuka Yamagishi

**Chapter 4: Fuuka Yamagishi**

If the situation weren't so serious, the sight of Junpei slung over Akihiko's shoulder and Mitsuru yanking Yukari out the door by the ear would have been hilarious. Then again, Madoka herself was slung over Akihiko's other shoulder, which probably looked ridiculous in and of itself. "Senpai…" Junpei whined. "Why must you hurt us in this way?"

"Because the three of you are being ridiculous, sitting around and moping," Akihiko replied through gritted teeth.

"Don't tell me we're going to _Tartarus_," Yukari whimpered.

"If we are, I'm not leading," Madoka said flatly.

"The Dark Hour won't be here for another _five hours_," Mitsuru snapped. "And no. We're not going to Tartarus tonight. Not until Akihiko's wounds heal, at any rate."

"So where _are_ we going?" Yukari asked, looking rather annoyed as she tried and failed to wriggle out of Mitsuru's grasp.

"Hagakure," both Akihiko and Mitsuru replied in unison.

"Why," the second years said in a deadpan.

"So your first mission hit a few rough spots," Akihiko said. "It's not the end of the world."

"It still _technically_ was a success," Mitsuru pointed out.

"What the—" Junpei started as he accidentally kicked Akihiko in the ribs. "We almost died! The scary senpai had to bail us out!"

"He's not _that_ scary," Madoka said before sighing. "His jacket looked so warm…"

"Oh my god," Yukari deadpanned. "You're seriously fantasizing about that guy's _jacket_."

"No I'm not!" Madoka shot back.

"Hey Senpai, can you put us down?" Junpei asked.

"That depends," Mitsuru replied. "Will you come with us without a fuss?"

"If you'll let us walk on our own, sure," Yukari said.

"Um, people are starting to stare…" Madoka pointed out.

"All right, all right," Akihiko grumbled as he gently let down Junpei and Madoka. "But so help me, morale will be boosted tonight."

"It simply wouldn't do to have three of our fighters so unmotivated," Mitsuru added.

"I'm sorry," Madoka said on impulse.

"See, that's exactly the kind of attitude we _don't_ want," Akihiko said. By now, they'd reached the ramen place. "Okay, now I want to make this clear to you before we go in and eat – _the mission was a success_. You guys did well."

"It's understandable that you'd freeze up at such a tense situation," Mitsuru said. "We don't blame you for that, nor do we blame you for needing Shinjiro to help you."

"And now, we're going to eat, and we aren't going to worry about _anything_ that happened last night," Akihiko said pointedly. "Okay?"

No one put up much of an argument.

* * *

Madoka and Yukari walked through the school hallways one day after school, on one of the rare days when Yukari didn't have a club meeting. "So now that midterms are over, do you want to head down to the shrine for old times' sake?" Yukari asked, grinning.

Madoka couldn't help but laugh. "Sure! I still can't believe we haven't done that yet…"

Yukari groaned. "I know, right? We've both been really busy lately, huh?"

Loud laughter interrupted their conversation. "So I pretended to take a picture with my cell phone," said a girl's slightly nasally voice. "She freaked out and started crying like it was the end of the world! You should've seen the look on her face. It was priceless!"

"Oh my god!" gasped another girl.

The first girl laughed. "I've never laughed so hard in all my life!"

Yukari scoffed. "They're making fun of someone? Don't they have anything better to do?"

"Wait a minute…" the second girl said quietly. "What's that voice?"

"What voice?" the first girl asked. When the second girl didn't answer, the first girl panicked. "Maki? Maki!"

"H-Huh?" the second girl said dazedly. "Oh, sorry… What were we talking about again?"

The first girl groaned. "Never mind. Let's just go."

Yukari sighed. "I can't stand girls like that."

"You know, I can kind of picture Asami being like that," Madoka mused.

"Who, your cousin?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, she was kind of…"

But things didn't exactly return to normal anytime soon, because the next day, there was a rumor going around school that a girl went missing the previous night, and was found in front of the school gate the next morning, thoroughly unconscious. And then a few days later…

"Hey, you know that girl they found by the school gate?" Junpei asked at dinner. "I heard it's because of this angry spirit from this one ghost story."

"He, c'mon!" Yukari retorted. "Nobody believes that stuff… right?"

"So what is this ghost story about?" Mitsuru asked, resting her chin on the palm of her hand.

"What?" Yukari almost shrieked. "B-But it's probably made up!"

"I'm interested," Akihiko said with a careless smirk. "Go ahead, Junpei."

Junpei smirked mischievously and leaned forward, pulling out a flashlight and shining it at his face from below his chin. "Good evening. Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe it or Don't'! According to one story, if you get caught roaming the school late at night, you'll be devoured by an evil ghost!"

"But…" Madoka protested. "The school turns into Tartarus at night, right? So couldn't it be that that girl from 2-E was trapped inside during the Dark Hour?"

"That would at least partially explain why she was found by the school gate the next morning," Mitsuru said. "What do you think, Akihiko?"

"H-Hey!" Junpei yelped. "You guys didn't even let me finish!"

"No one cares, Junpei," Yukari said flatly.

"I think it's worth investigating," Akihiko said. "We'd have to know the exact time that girl went in to confirm our theory."

"Or even a rough estimate would work," Mitsuru said. "As long as it wasn't a minute after midnight."

"All right, we'll leave it to you three," Akihiko said. "Ask around a bit. See what you can find."

"Gotcha!" Junpei said excitedly.

* * *

"So, as it turns out," Yukari said later that week, "no angry ghost was involved. Let's start off with how the rumor got started in the first place," Yukari said. Why did the rumor spread so fast if there was only _one_ incident?"

"There were two other incidents just like it, right?" Madoka asked. "Right after the first one occurred. And all three of the victims had to be hospitalized."

Yukari nodded. "Exactly. Next, the victims don't seem to be connected at all – they're even in different classes! However, they had one thing in common. Any idea what it is?"

"What is this, a quiz show?" Junpei deadpanned before sighing. "Whatever. I know the answer to this one – they all hung out together. They got in with a bad crowd or something, and they were always out late."

"So you guys," Yukari said, clapping her hands together excitedly. "We're going to that place behind Port Island Station to do some field research."

"Hell no!" Junpei snapped. "You can't go there! Have you even heard the rumors about that place?"

"C'mon!" Yukari almost whined. "We've gotta leave now, or we'll be out past curfew!"

"Really?" Junpei retorted. "We're going to this _literal_ shady back alley, and you're worried about missing _curfew_?"

"Can we just go?" Madoka piped up. "It should be fine if we stick together, right?"

Junpei sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this…" He groaned. "All right! Let's just get this over with!"

The back alley certainly lived up to its reputation – it was dark, and there were shabbily dressed people everywhere, with empty beer cans and cigarette butts littered everywhere. And it wasn't long before people started swarming around them. "Check out those rags," one boy said. "They're from Gekkou High."

"Okay," Junpei whispered to Yukari and Madoka. "Just stay close to me, and I'll…"

"… protect us?" Madoka finished.

"… something like that," Junpei whispered back.

One particularly menacing-looking boy stepped up to Junpei. "Hey, you. I think you're in the wrong place. Beat it, Goatee."

"Goatee?" Junpei echoed. "Oh—y-you mean me."

Yukari stepped in front of Junpei, crossing her arms and glaring back at the taller boy. "Hey! We don't _need_ your permission to be here."

"Y-Yukari-chan, maybe we shouldn't be picking fights with these people," Madoka said quickly.

"It's okay, Madoka," Yukari said. "Don't be intimidated by these _scum_."

"What was that?" the boy she was arguing with earlier gasped in mock surprise.

A skimpily clad girl sauntered toward them. "She just called us _scum_." She laughed cruelly. "We'll post some pictures that'll make her daddy cry! She'll wish she was never born!"

"Really?" Yukari deadpanned. "_That_'s the best threat you could come up with?"

"You oughta learn to shut that trap of yours!" the boy yelled. "Sucks to be you, Goatee. This bitch looks like a pain in the ass to deal with." And without warning, the boy punched Junpei in the stomach, sending him falling backward.

"Junpei-kun!" Madoka gasped as she knelt down to help him sit up. "Are you okay?"

"That's enough." Honestly, Shinjiro shouldn't have been the last person Madoka expected to show up that day. "They didn't know what they were getting into. I'll make sure they leave. Alright?"

"Who d'ya think you are, dumbass?" the boy who punched Junpei yelled. "You want some too?" He aimed a clumsily thrown punch at Shinjiro, who dodged cleanly. Then, before the boy could recover, Shinjiro head-butted him in the stomach, knocking him backwards. "Shit… You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive?" Madoka stood up shakily, ready to pull Shinjiro backward if the situation got any more dangerous than it already was.

But, then again, she didn't really have much of a reason to worry. "Wanna give it a try?" Shinjiro asked in a calm, even voice.

"Screw you, Shinjiro!" another boy shouted. "That's right… You're from Gekkou High, aren't you?"

"You better grow eyes in the back of your head!" the first boy yelled. And with that, they, along with the girl who threatened Yukari earlier, walked away.

Shinjiro turned to glare at the three second years. "Are you all imbeciles?"

"We're sorry," Madoka said, bowing her head.

Shinjiro simply sighed. "C'mon. This isn't exactly the best place to talk."

Junpei stood up quickly, shaking only slightly. "Oh man, Senpai! That was awesome!"

"Wow, that was even better than the time you stopped the train the other day!" Yukari added.

"Just shut up," Shinjiro muttered. He led the three of them to Chagall Café, and Madoka insisted on paying for his coffee as thanks for helping them out yet again. "Alright," he said once they were all settled down at their table. "Whaddya wanna know? About that ghost story?"

"Um…" Madoka mumbled. "H-How did you…?"

"It's a rumor," Shinjiro replied. "Those girls who wound up in the hospital? They'd come to the back alley and talk shit every night about all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."

"Wait, Fuuka Yamagishi from Class 2-E?" Junpei asked. "They were pickin' on her?"

"These are the same girls we saw the other day, right?" Madoka asked Yukari.

"That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it," Shinjiro said.

"Wait, but Fuuka's not really _dead_, is she?" Yukari asked.

"She might be," Shinjiro replied. "She hasn't been home in over a week."

"Wait a minute," Madoka said. "So this is all happening at school, right? Does that mean Fuuka-san's trapped inside Tartarus?"

"We can't know that for sure unless we go inside and look," Yukari replied. "And Akihiko-senpai said he wanted to lead this operation, remember?"

Shinjiro scoffed. "I get it, Aki. Still trying to make up for the past…"

"Is something wrong?" Madoka asked him concernedly.

Shinjiro simply shook his head. "Forget about it. Anyway, that's all I know. Satisfied?"

"Um…" Yukari said uncertainly. "Thank you very much for helping us out again. You're very kind."

"What?" Shinjiro asked in a low, dangerous voice.

"I, uh… never mind."

Shinjiro sighed. "You brats need to stop taking on things that are too big for you. I won't always be around to bail you guys out. Got it?"

"Thank you," Madoka said, smiling at him. And with that, Shinjiro walked away, grumbling about how he was going to beat Akihiko's face in or something like that.

Yukari smirked teasingly at Madoka. "How's his jacket looking _now_?"

"Y-Yukari-chan!"

* * *

That night, Ryoji woke her up. "Sorry to wake you, Madoka," he said. "But there's something really important I need to tell you. The full moon's almost here."

"Ryoji-kun…" Madoka mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily. "I haven't seen you in so long…"

Ryoji smiled wistfully. "I know. I'm sorry I haven't been coming that often lately… but look at yourself – you don't even need me anymore."

"That doesn't mean I don't want you to come," Madoka retorted. "So what's this about the full moon?"

"Something bad is going to happen again – I can feel it."

Madoka shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Maybe it's another big Shadow…"

"What?"

Madoka shook her head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

The look on Ryoji's face was pitiful. "Madoka… please don't keep secrets from me. I want to help you."

"I'm sorry, Ryoji-kun. It's just that… it's complicated."

Ryoji smiled. "Well, we have approximately fifty-two minutes and thirty-eight seconds."

"Well…" Madoka sighed as she finally relented and told him everything.

* * *

"All right," Yukari whispered to Madoka. "So we just go in, ask Mr. Ekoda about Fuuka, and get out. Sound good?"

"I guess so…" Madoka replied.

But inside the faculty office, there was someone already there at Mr. Ekoda's desk – Mitsuru and another student. "Mr. Ekoda," Mitsuru said briskly. "I'm here to ask about Fuuka Yamagishi's disappearance."

"No!" the girl next to Mitsuru shrieked. "I… I never thought it'd turn out like this!"

"Wait, you're that girl…" Yukari gasped.

Mitsuru glared sharply at the girl. "What did you do to Yamagishi?"

"Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Mr. Ekoda said. "You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea."

"Fuuka, she…" Natsuki said quietly. "She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time… Then, I realized… she's an honor student, but inside, she's just the same as us." Natsuki's eyes widened in horror. "I knew exactly which buttons to push… W-We were just messin' with her the other day too!"

"What did you do?" Yukari demanded. "Come on! Out with it!"

"Miss Takeba!" Mr. Ekoda reprimanded.

"N-Nothing!" Natsuki stammered. "Except…" She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Well, we… We took her to the gym… and locked the door from the outside…"

Madoka covered her mouth with both hands. "H-How could you do that…?"

"That night, Maki went back alone," Natsuki continued. "She thought we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But… she never came back… And the next morning…" Natsuki shook her head furiously. "I went to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked. So I opened it and went inside, but she wasn't there! We all freaked out, so starting that night, we went looking for her. But every night, another one of us went missing, and they each ended up like Maki!"

"So it looks like your theory might have been correct, Tachibana," Mitsuru said. "By the way, Mr. Ekoda… All this time, you've attributed Yamagishi's absenses to _illness_. But in reality, she was missing. You _must_ have been aware of that. What was your intention?"

"I was thinking of the students, of course," Mr. Ekoda replied. "You _children_ may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected."

"You mean you chose not to report this to the police for the 'good of the class,'" Mitsuru said sharply. "So you chose to ignore a student who was being bullied in favor of the bullies themselves. To protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher. How despicable!"

"W-Wait!" Natsuki shrieked. "Th-There's one more thing… Before everyone disappeared, they'd hear this really creepy voice, calling their name."

"There's no doubt about it," Mitsuru said. "You _were_ right, Tachibana."

"You can't listen to the voice, no matter what," Yukari told Natsuki. "Even if it starts calling for you, just ignore it."

"Stay in our dorm tonight," Mitsuru said. "It's the safest place. Tachibana and Takeba, come meet me in the student council room today after school to discuss tonight's operation. We're going to rescue Yamagishi."

The hours ticked by slowly after that, and Yukari, Madoka, and Junpei all but sprinted to the student council room as soon as the last bell rang. Five desks were arranged in a circle, at which all of SEES sat. "Okay…" Yukari said slowly, eyeing everyone nervously. "So what're we gonna do?"

"Tonight, we will infiltrate the campus," Mitsuru said. "Our objective is to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi."

"So now we know for sure that she's trapped inside Tartarus?" Junpei asked. "But she's been missing for ten days! Doesn't that mean…?"

"I have a theory," Akihiko said. "Time functions differently inside Tartarus. What's ten days for us may have been only ten hours for her."

"That's still a really long time…" Madoka said quietly.

"Is she even alive at this point?" Yukari asked. "Even if she is, we might not be able to get to her."

"Are we just gonna let her die then?" Akihiko asked angrily.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru snapped.

"Sorry…" Akihiko muttered. "I have an idea. We'll enter Tartarus exactly as she did – we'll go to the gym, and wait for midnight."

"B-But isn't that really dangerous?" Madoka protested her. "It's not the usual entrance, so couldn't we get lost?"

"If you guys don't want to go, then I'll go in myself!" Akihiko almost yelled.

"Senpai…"

"Tachibana, you're leading this operation," Mitsuru said.

"Wh-What?" Madoka gasped. "B-But I…"

"You know Tartarus better than I do, at any rate," Akihiko said.

"B-But…"

"This is inside the school," Mitsuru said. "There shouldn't be any _incidents_ like the one with the train." She sighed. "Maybe we _should _call Shinjiro, if only for some reassurance."

"I doubt he'd come," Akihiko grumbled. "You guys really need to learn how to function without the Shinji Security Blanket…"

* * *

"So you unlocked it earlier…" Mitsuru said approvingly once SEES was inside the school at night. "Tres bien!"

"Oui," Akihiko said with a smirk. "No time for compliments. Let's go."

"Tray ben?" Junpei echoed. "What is that, French? Lousy seniors and their lousy French…

"Uh…" Yukari whimpered. "Can we turn on the lights?"

"Aw, you scared?" Junpei cooed.

"Shut up, Stupei!"

"Stop calling me that!"

"Quiet!" Akihiko snapped. "It's better if we leave them off. Besides – they cut off the power at night anyway."

"First, we have to find a key to the gym," Mitsuru said, all business as usual. "We'll split up into two groups and meet up in the main hallway on the first floor."

"The faculty office, huh?" Junpei asked, sounding intrigued. "Maybe we'll find some test questions!"

"Are you seriously planning something unscrupulous under my superivision?" Mitsuru asked with mock seriousness. "If so, expect to be severely punished."

"It—It was a joke!" Junpei backtracked immediately, laughing nervously. "I'd never do something like that!"

"Perhaps I'd best take Iori with me to the janitor's room," Mitsuru said. "Takeba, you come too. Akihiko, Tachibana, you two check the faculty office."

"Okay," Madoka said. And with that, they parted ways.

Awkward silence reigned until Akihiko spoke up. "So, I see the Dark Hour has prepared you for this."

"H-Huh?"

"You're not scared like Yukari," he elaborated.

"Oh, um… Well, yeah. It's a lot better than dealing with the Dark Hour."

"You've been experiencing it since you were young, right? That must've been hard."

Madoka stared at the floor. "I guess…" Being completely alone as all the lights flickered off, everyone disappeared, the water turned to blood, and coffins appeared everywhere… that was terrifying beyond belief, even when Ryoji was there.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed throughout the hall. "Someone's coming!" Akihiko hissed as he grabbed Madoka's arm and pulled her behind a pillar with him. He pulled her close to him, clasping one hand over her mouth so that she couldn't say anything, and Madoka could feel his heart hammering in his chest. But then, all they could see was the shine of a flashlight moving back and forth along the floor. Akihiko sighed in relief as he released her. "It's just a security guard…"

When the light disappeared and the sound of footsteps faded, Akihiko and Madoka ran through the hallway, into the faculty office. They rummaged for a few minutes, until… "Here, I found it!" Akihiko whispered triumphantly. "The gym storage key."

"Um, Senpai…" Madoka said slowly as she kept looking. "That's not it."

"Wh-What?" Akihiko spluttered. "Oh… Just the gym key, right?" He rummaged through a particularly large ring of keys. "I can't find it…"

And it happened to be sitting right there next to him – it even had a label reading "Gym" on one side. Madoka picked it up and held it out toward him with a smile. "Is this it?"

"Oh, uh…" Akihiko muttered. "I don't know how I missed that…"

Madoka raised her eyebrows. "Should we meet up with the others?"

"Uh… Yeah…"

And, sure enough, Mitsuru, Junpei, and Yukari had already congregated in the main hallway. "We found the key," Akihiko said promptly.

"Excellent," Mitsuru replied. "We'll have to split into teams again – three of you will go into Tartarus, and one of you will remain outside with me. Once the Dark Hour begins, I will determine Yamagishi's position."

"I'm going," Akihiko said immediately.

"And we've already agreed that Tachibana will be leading this mission, so she will be accompanying you," Mitsuru said.

"D-Don't you think Yukari-chan or Junpei-kun should do it?" Madoka protested weakly.

"Hell no!" Yukari shrieked.

"Hell yeah!" Junpei said excitedly. "Besides – I need to redeem myself for the train thing."

"Not _everything's_ about _you_," Yukari sneered. "I'll—"

"What's wrong, Yukari?" Akihiko asked teasingly. "You don't want to stay behind with Mitsuru?"

"If you want, I can switch with you," Madoka offered.

"No, you're coming, and you're _leading_," Akihiko said emphatically.

"But Junpei-kun—"

"Yeah, c'mon Senpai!" Junpei complained.

"Maybe when you have a little more experience," Mitsuru said fleetingly.

"Aw man…"

* * *

Madoka groaned as consciousness slowly returned to her. _Wh-What…? When did I…? _Sure enough, she was inside Tartarus, but Akihiko and Junpei were nowhere to be found. "Junpei-kun? Akihiko-senpai?" Madoka sighed as she shivered, and she wrapped her arms tightly around herself. _You're supposed to be the leader, right? Come on – think!_

"Madoka?"

She couldn't be more overjoyed to hear his voice. "Ryoji-kun!"

Ryoji sighed in relief as he hugged her tightly. "Thank goodness you're all right…" He broke away from her, but his hands never left her shoulders. "Listen to me – there's more than one ordeal you have to face tonight."

"What are you talking about?" Madoka asked.

"That girl – she's calling for you," Ryoji said. But then his body turned more and more translucent as he faded into the darkness.

"Ryoji-kun!"

"Be careful, Madoka. Please, come back safe." And then he was gone.

Madoka squeezed her eyes shut as she pulled out her Evoker and clutched it tightly, ready to fire it whenever she had to. Then… "Who's there?" Madoka shrieked and jumped as a girl's voice echoed through the floor. "Are you… human?"

"Is that…?" Madoka whispered to herself. "Hey, can you hear me? Where are you?" But the girl never responded. Madoka sighed as she continued walking, avoiding Shadows as she did so. "Was that… Fuuka-san?"

A few more minutes of aimless wandering, and then… "Is someone there? Please answer me…"

"I can hear you!" Madoka yelled. "Just tell me where you are, and I'll find you!" But the girl never responded. _Is it that she can't hear me? _

"Hey, there she is!" she heard Junpei call as if from far away. Sure enough, Junpei and Akihiko were running toward her from a clearing up ahead, their expressions frantic. "Madoka-chan, are you okay? Man, we were so worried about you…"

"I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again," Akihiko mused.

"That voice…" Madoka said quietly. "Did you hear it?"

"Who is this…?" the voice from before whispered. "Are you human?"

"That's it!" Madoka said. "That's the one! But…" The voice sounded like it came from somewhere close by, almost…

A pale-faced girl with teal hair stepped out from the Shadows, looking frazzled. "Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?" Akihiko asked.

"Yes!" the girl replied.

"Wow!" Junpei gushed. "You really are alive! Never fear, Junpei's here!"

Madoka sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…"

"Come with us," Akihiko said. "We'll get you out of here."

"Thank you so much," Fuuka said sincerely. "But… where are we? I was at school, and then…"

"It's kind of a long story," Junpei said. "I'll explain everything once we get out of here."

"Damn, I can't get through to Mitsuru…" Akihiko muttered.

"Are you okay, Fuuka-san?" Madoka asked. "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," Fuuka replied. "But I've seen some strange creatures in here. Thankfully, I've managed to avoid them so far."

"Are you serious?" Akihiko asked. "How is that possible?"

"I can…" Fuuka said faintly, "… kind of tell where they are."

"So, she has the same power as Mitsuru, huh?" Akihiko said, smirking. "Even stronger, I'll bet, since Mitsuru's Persona is more battle-oriented."

"Persona…?" Fuuka echoed faintly.

Akihiko handed his Evoker to her, completely ignoring her mortified gasp. "Hang onto this. Don't worry – it's not _really_ a gun."

"It really isn't," Madoka whispered to Fuuka.

"You…" Fuuka mumbled. "You're the new transfer student!"

Madoka smiled faintly. "Yeah, I am. I'm Madoka – Madoka Tachibana."

Junpei held his hand out toward her. "Junpei Iori, at your service."

"It's nice to meet you," Fuuka said pleasantly. "And I already know who you are, Akihiko-senpai."

"All right," Akihiko said. "Now that the introductions are out of the way, we need to get out of here, now!"

* * *

"Okay, I'm pretty sure there aren't any of those strange creatures nearby," Fuuka said.

"Thanks, Fuuka," Junpei said. "You're the best!"

There was a window to the right, and Madoka stared at the eerily green moon. "It's a full moon again tonight…"

"A full moon?" Akihiko repeated. "Wait a minute… The monorail incident happened on a full moon last month… And… Madoka! Do you remember the day the dorm was attacked?"

"H-Huh?" Madoka stammered. "I don't… I… I'm sorry. I wasn't really paying attention to the moon then."

Akihiko sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's understandable. A lot happened to you that day… But if my theory is correct—"

"Wait!" Fuuka cried. "Something's wrong! It's… It's bigger than the rest of the creatures!"

Madoka frowned. _A big Shadow every full moon? And tonight's a full moon too…_

"Wh-What's bigger?" Junpei asked. "That doesn't sound good…"

"It's… towards the bottom?" Fuuka said slowly.

"Mitsuru…" Akihiko whispered. "Come on!" And with that, they ran. It seemed like the lobby to Tartarus couldn't come quickly enough, but eventually, they reached Mitsuru and Yukari – along with two large, hulking Shadows much like the one on the monorail earlier.

"Finally!" Yukari cried. Both she and Mitsuru looked like they were struggling, only there was barely a scratch on either Shadow. "None of our attacks are working!"

"What in the world?" Fuuka gasped.

One of the Shadows – a shorter, more feminine-looking one – lunged for Yukari. Madoka shrieked as she pressed her Evoker to her head and pulled the trigger. "Persona!" Hecate threw herself between Yukari and the Shadow, and though the Shadow flinched with a slash from one of Hecate's torches, it didn't appear to be damaged at all. "Wh-What…?"

"F-Fuuka…" The door to Tartarus opened and closed, and Natsuki stumbled in, looking dazed.

"Moriyama-san?" Fuuka shrieked. "Please, get out of here! It's too dangerous!"

"I…" Natsuki mumbled. "I wanted to tell you… I'm sorry…" Natsuki stumbled in front of the Shadows, which noticed her presence right away.

"Moriyama-san!" Fuuka cried. She pressed the Evoker to her temple and pulled the trigger, looking almost unnaturally calm as she did so. Then, with the sound of shattering glass, a large, feminine-looking Persona surrounded Fuuka. "I… I can see… The Empress – the one on the left – is susceptible to magical attacks, while the Emperor – the one on the left – is weak to physical attacks!"

"Alrighty then," Junpei said as Hermes struck the Emperor.

"Piece of cake," Akihiko said as Polydeuces cast lightning at the Empress.

The Shadows then started glowing. "Wait!" Fuuka cried. "Now it's the opposite!"

"Okay then," Madoka said. "Leave it to me." And with that, Hecate's torches slashed through the Empress.

The battle was over quickly, and Fuuka sank to her knees soon afterward. "Is it over?"

Madoka put her hands on her knees, breathing heavily. "I-I think so."

Something cleared in Natsuki's eyes, and she ran over to Fuuka. "Fuuka!"

"Are you all right?" Fuuka asked Natsuki worriedly.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" Natsuki replied.

Fuuka closed her eyes, smiling faintly. "Thank goodness…" And with that, she keeled over, unconscious.

"She's all right," Mitsuru assured Natsuki before the second year could say a word. "She's just exhausted."

"Where did those two Shadows come from?" Akihiko asked as he paced over to where the Shadows were before.

"From somewhere outside Tartarus, like the one before," Mitsuru replied.

"Wait, what's going to happen to Natsuki?" Yukari asked. "She saw the Dark Hour, so—"

"She's not like us, so she'll forget about it," Akihiko replied.

"But that means she won't remember that Fuuka-san saved her life," Madoka pointed out.

Akihiko smirked. "I don't think you have to worry about that."

He gestured toward Natsuki, who was crouched by Fuuka and sobbing. "I'm sorry, Fuuka… I'm so sorry!"

* * *

_Word count: 17720_


	8. Reminiscence: Simplicity

**Reminiscence: Simplicity**

Fuuka Yamagishi was a simple girl with simple pleasures and simple goals. All she needed was a laptop with internet access and a few programming languages installed, and her life would be set. So when those girls started picking on her in class, she didn't mind – not out of the goodness of her heart, but simply because fighting back just wasn't worth it. Yes, she got a bit frazzled, which arguably amused them a little, but soon enough, they'd get bored with her, and they'd leave her alone – and their taunts and jibes weren't _terrible_. She could handle them without a problem.

At least, until they took one step too far and locked her in the school's gymnasium.

At first, she wondered what her parents would say when she inevitably wouldn't come home on time. Then the hours started to tick by, and she concluded that her parents would be absolutely _furious_ with her, which wouldn't be fun for anyone involved, least of all herself. So to pass the time and to avoid thinking about her parents' reaction to her extreme tardiness (ten hours!), she decided to explore.

It took less than five minutes for her to conclude that she _definitely_ wasn't at school anymore – but the multicolored walls and dimly lit corridors seemed… ominous, somehow. Not to mention, there were strange monsters _everywhere_, and it was all she could do to avoid them. The monsters had a sort of presence about them – a presence she could feel from meters away, and she avoided them like the plague. It never occurred to her that what she was doing was _special_ in any way, until Akihiko-senpai pointed it out.

And then, after it was all over, she woke up in the hospital, to her parents conversing with a doctor. The doctor told her parents that she'd collapsed out of the trauma faced at the hands of her classmates and sheer exhaustion; her parents naturally disagreed and brought in three aunts, two uncles, and six cousins for a second opinion. And the various Dr. Yamagishis couldn't find anything wrong with her either. But the hospital wouldn't release her just yet, and Mr. and Mrs. Yamagishi just _couldn't_ have tha.

And then, one day, Natsuki visited, with piles and piles of schoolwork, half of which she had already done for Fuuka to make up for all the relentless bullying. And Fuuka couldn't be more touched.

Fuuka Yamagishi was a simple girl with simple pleasures and simple goals – but all these new changes to her life weren't so bad either.

* * *

_Word count: 18146_


	9. Chapter 5: Walls and Illusions

**Chapter 5: Walls and Illusions**

"You're Fuuka Yamagishi, correct?" Ikutsuki asked a few days later on the fourth floor of the dorm.

"Y-Yes," Fuuka answered shakily, looking alarmed but otherwise much better than she did the day she was rescued from Tartarus.

Ikutsuki smiled at the group as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth. Also, the three other victims have all regained consciousness. From what I understand, they were attacked by Shadows near the gate, as the Dark Hour began."

"I'm sorry," Fuuka cut in. "It's all my fault."

"Are you kidding?" Yukari retorted. "You were the victim!"

"But I made so many people worry…" Fuuka protested weakly.

"But you saved our lives!" Madoka pointed out. "We couldn't have survived that fight if you weren't there, Fuuka-san."

"You have a special power that you can use to help others," Mitsuru told Fuuka.

"You mean Lucia?" Fuuka asked, before turning away and blushing a little. "Oh, sorry… I mean… Persona, is it?"

"Yes," Mitsuru replied. "I believe you would make a wonderful asset to the team."

"Are you saying you want me to join you?" Fuuka asked, raising her eyebrows.

"We're not trying to pressure you or anything," Yukari assured her. "If you need some time to think about it…"

"You can back out at any time if you don't want to be involved anymore," Akihiko said. "That same condition applies to the rest of us as well."

"I'll do it," Fuuka said quickly. "I'll help you!"

"Thank you," Mitsuru said with a faint smile. "Of course, now that you're officially a part of SEES, you'll have to live here. We'll have the school talk it over with your parents and resolve any potential issues that may arise."

"Wait a minute," Yukari interjected. "Aren't we dragging her into this a bit too fast?"

"It's okay," Fuuka said. "Really. I _want_ to help. Besides – it'll be nice having two other girls in my grade around, too."

"Sweet!" Junpei cheered. "Hey, hey, does this mean Mitsuru-senpai'll be joining us on the front lines now?"

"Ideally, our formation will be much like it was during our last trip to Tartarus," Mitsuru said. "Roughly half will explore the tower with Tachibana, and the rest will stay in the lobby to protect Yamagishi if necessary."

"Any objections to that, Madoka?" Akihiko asked before Madoka could say a word.

Madoka stared at her feet. "Can Akihiko-senpai be one of the people exploring the tower too?"

Akihiko smirked in response. "You don't even have to ask."

Ikutsuki cleared his throat. "Now onto more important matters," he said. "Regarding those special Shadows… We still don't know where they're coming from, but Akihiko is right about one thing – their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. We'll take that into consideration from now on."

"So they're kinda like werewolves, right?" Junpei asked.

"This will be a huge advantage for us," Akihiko said. "Now that we know how to predict them, we'll be ready when they come into the ring."

_Come to think of it, Ryoji-kun always warns me before we have to fight one of those things…_ Madoka thought. _But just how many of them are there? Will they be coming _every_ full moon, without fail? When will they _stop_?_

"Tachibana," Mitsuru said suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I strongly suggest that we go to Tartarus tonight, if only to give Yamagishi some practice before the next full moon."

Madoka sighed and nodded. "Okay…"

"Madoka, wake up."

"Ryoji-kun…? What's wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you. Remember how I said before that the end was coming? Well I just remembered something else – the end is inevitable, but… I think you can stop it, Madoka."

"Me…? Why me?"

"You're stronger and braver than you think you are, Madoka. And one day, that strength and bravery may prove to be our salvation. Never forget that."

"I don't understand…"

"Just sleep for now, Madoka. Everything will become clear in due time."

* * *

And so, the days passed by quickly as nothing of great importance happened. And things were going smoothly, until Mitsuru mentioned that Ikutsuki would be dropping by the dorm again, and Yukari insisted on walking home with Madoka. "Hey, you okay?" Yukari asked. "You've been kind of distant lately."

Madoka stopped in her tracks, a few meters away from the dorm. "Have I?"

"Well, I guess it's no more than usual," Yukari said, "but… I don't know. It's hard to describe, but… You're a lot different than you were when we were kids, you know?"

"Is that a bad thing?" Madoka couldn't help but ask.

"No, but it's…" Yukari started. "Well, I wouldn't call it a _good_ thing either."

Madoka averted her eyes downward and clutched her bag tightly. "I'm sorry…"

"See?" Yukari yelled suddenly. "That's what I mean! What are you trying to hide?"

"N-Nothing…" Madoka mumbled. "I'm not hiding anything."

"Then why do you keep shutting us out?" Yukari demanded. "It's like you're putting up all these walls, and you don't want anyone to get close! Why do you do that?"

"I…" Madoka said quietly. "I don't know… I can't help it…"

Yukari sighed and rolled her eyes. "You know what? Just forget it. Forget I said anything."

"I'm—"

"_Don't_ say you're sorry."

Madoka sighed. Of course, this was bound to happen sooner or later – it always did. It wasn't like she _wanted _to push Yukari away – it just sort of happened.

"Koro-chan, wait!"

Fuuka's shout was all it took to keep Yukari and Madoka outside the dorm, and a white dog ran over to them. It skidded to a halt in front of Madoka and jumped up, putting its paws on her thighs. Without thinking, she stroked the fur on top of its head and scratched it behind the ears.

Fuuka finally caught up to the dog, panting heavily. "I'm so sorry, Madoka-chan," she said. "You're okay with dogs, right?" Madoka just smiled and nodded. "This is Koromaru. I've seen him sitting on the steps by the shrine."

A woman who was passing by suddenly stopped and stared at Koromaru. "Oh, this dog still goes on walks by himself?" she asked. "This dog used to belong to the priest at the Naganaki Shrine. Every afternoon, the two of them would come this way for a walk."

"Oh, so that explains it then," Yukari said.

"Well, that was until the priest passed away," the woman said. "He was hit by a car while walking this dog, and he didn't survive. Ever since then, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident. And he goes for a walk every day, just like when his owner was still alive."

"That's so sad…" Fuuka mumbled. Madoka slid down to her knees so that she was closer to eye-level with Koromaru, and the dog licked her face affectionately. "Aw, he likes you, Madoka-chan!" Madoka simply laughed. "Oh wait, shouldn't we get going? The chairman's here, right?"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Yukari gasped. "C'mon, Madoka. You can play with him later."

"Bye, Koro-chan," Madoka said with a smile, giving him one last scratch behind the ears as she followed Yukari and Fuuka into the dorm. After that, it was as if the whole fight with Yukari, if she could even call it that, never happened, and she walked into the fourth floor meeting room feeling slightly elated.

Sure enough, Ikutsuki, Mitsuru, and Akihiko were already there. "You three are late," he said as Yukari, Fuuka, and Madoka rushed in.

"We're sorry," Yukari said automatically. "Did we miss anything?"

"I was just explaining my latest research regarding the special Shadows," Ikutsuki explained. "Shadows can be divided into twelve categories, according to their characteristics. Now, I've classified the special Shadows we've seen so far, and… It's simply fascinating! Those four Shadows belonged to Categories I through IV in order of their appearance!"

"So there's twelve in all, eight we haven't seen yet," Fuuka said.

"And they each correspond to a different Arcanum in the first twelve Major Arcana," Madoka said.

"Wait a minute," Junpei interrupted. "What _are_ Shadows anyway? What's their deal?"

"That's what we're still trying to find out," Ikutsuki replied. "Their motives are still extremely unclear. They don't kill their prey; they merely feed on their minds."

"So there's eight more…" Madoka mused. "The last one we fought was number IV – the Emperor. Next comes the Hierophant, then the Lovers, then the Chariot, then Justice, then Hermit, Fortune, Strength, Hanged Man—"

"What are you trying to say, Tachibana?" Mitsuru asked.

"S-Sorry," Madoka stammered, stopping herself. "I was just thinking out loud…"

"And each one has been stronger than the last," Fuuka said, "so we better start training harder."

"We'll manage," Akihiko said. "We've got plenty of time."

"What about Tartarus?" Yukari asked. "Why does it even exist?" All she got for a response was silence.

Slowly afterward, everyone filtered out of the meeting room, with Madoka being the fifth person to leave. "Oh, Madoka-chan!" Fuuka called before she could leave. "I was wondering if you could explain the Major Arcana to me, since you seem to know a lot about them. And, since they correspond to the Shadows…"

"Oh…" Madoka said. "Um…" She sighed, swallowing hard. _It's okay. She's just asking for information – and it's not even information about you. _"Wh-Why don't we talk about this downstairs?"

"Oh, that's right," Fuuka said. "I want to get this all down on my laptop too, just in case." One descent down the staircase, a laptop, and two steaming cups of oolong tea later, and they were ready. "So, about the Major Arcana…"

"They're the foundation of tarot decks," Madoka explained. "They go from zero to twenty-one, and they represent a path to spiritual self-awareness."

"But we're only dealing with the first twelve regarding Shadows, right?" Fuuka asked.

"If what Ikutsuki-san said is true, then yes," Madoka replied. "So I'm guessing the one that came when I awakened my Persona was the Magician. The one on the monorail was the High Priestess, and the ones we fought when you were trapped in Tartarus were the Empress and the Emperor. So the next one should be the Hierophant." She sighed as her mind raced ahead to new possibilities.

"What's wrong?" Fuuka asked.

"Nothing," Madoka replied impulsively. "It's just… this theory I have about Shadows and Personas. I'm not sure if it's even right, so—"

"You can tell me," Fuuka said with a gentle smile. "If you want, I'll keep this to myself, and I won't tell anyone else."

Madoka sighed again. "Okay… I think Personas and Shadows are… connected, somehow?"

"What makes you think so?"

"Well, for starters, only Personas can defeat Shadows. They both correspond to Major Arcana. They're both associated with the mind."

"How so?"

"Well we have to shoot ourselves in the head to get our Personas to come out, so that has to mean _something_. And Shadows feed on the mind." Madoka stared up at the ceiling. "What if… What if Personas and Shadows are the _same_?"

"They're the same thing?" Fuuka asked quickly, sounding alarmed.

"No," Madoka said automatically. "That's not right…" She groaned in frustration. "Sorry, Fuuka-san. I guess I don't really know what I'm saying…"

Fuuka smiled gently at her. "It's okay," she said. "Thanks for sharing all this with me." Madoka just smiled in response. "Madoka-chan? We all correspond to Major Arcana too, right? Ever since I heard that you were the Death, I'd always wondered why. And… I think I understand, at least a little. But… Do open up to us, okay? If things ever prove to be too much."

Madoka stopped as she neared the stairs, but she didn't turn around to look at Fuuka. There was only ever one person to whom she opened up unconditionally – and she couldn't be sure he even existed outside her own mind. Still… "I'll try."

"Good," Fuuka said, sounding sincere.

* * *

And so, the next full moon finally came, and all the extra nights spent training at Tartarus were sure to pay off. All of SEES had congregated in the command room, as Fuuka sat with her Persona surrounding her as she scanned the area. "I found it!" she gasped suddenly. "I sense a strong presence!"

"Hey, we were right!" Junpei exclaimed.

"Or so it would seem," Ikutsuki added.

"It's located in Iwatodai," Fuuka said. "Inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."

"Ah, Shirakawa Boulevard…" Ikutsuki mused. "I don't know if you all are aware of this, but they've been finding the Lost in pairs lately. So, I guess now we know why…"

Fuuka dismissed Lucia as she stood up. "Why? What's on Shirakawa Boulevard? I'm not familiar with that area…"

"Neither am I," Madoka added.

"Uh…" Yukari mumbled. "That's where… all _those_ hotels are."

"Oh," Junpei said slowly, grinning. "That explains a lot! You've heard about them, right ladies? Where people go to… ya know…"

"O-Oh…" Fuuka squeaked, finally catching on.

"Oh, you mean like a love hotel?" Madoka blurted out without thinking.

"How on earth can you say that with a straight face?" Yukari deadpanned.

"Well, they're technically no different from ordinary hotels," Ikutsuki said, "but the rooms are a bit fancier."

"But are we…" Fuuka mumbled. "Um… _allowed_ to go?"

"Well, you'll be outside, so you have nothing to worry about," Akihiko pointed out. "So Madoka will be leading the operation."

"And you'll be assisting her, Akihiko," Mitsuru said. "I suppose I should remain behind, if only to help Yamagishi with tactical support."

"Well I want a piece of the action this time," Yukari announced.

"There's no way in hell you're leaving me behind!" Junpei said excitedly, smirking confidently.

Madoka sighed. "I have a bad feeling about this…"

* * *

Madoka felt like her head was clouded with a thick fog. She seemed to be in a hotel room with a circular bed, but she couldn't remember how she got there or why she was there in the first place. _Wh-What…? What was I…?_ But there was something she was missing – something important she had to do that she was forgetting. _But what is it…?_ The shower in the bathroom started running, but it seemed normal – expected, even.

_Embrace your desire… _a deep voice echoed in the back of her mind. _That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have._

_ That's… _Madoka thought slowly. _… not true…_

_ The future is but a fantasy_, the voice in her mind continued. _Memory is a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… Such is my wish…_

_ That… doesn't make sense…_

_ Pleasure is what you really want. You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…_

_ Not… now…_ Madoka raised her hands to her temples and squeezed her eyes shut. "Ryoji-kun… Help me!" But no one came – instead, her head became clearer, and she could think much more clearly. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders, and she sighed in relief. The shower suddenly turned off, and Madoka whirled around as the door to the bathroom opened. "Ryoji-kun?"

But it was Akihiko who came out, clad in nothing but a towel. "Hey, it's your turn next…" he said slowly, sounding dazed.

"Senpai…" Madoka whispered.

Then something shifted in Akihiko's eyes, and he squeezed his eyes shut before opening them, blinking several times. "Whoa!"

"Are you okay?" Madoka asked worriedly as Akihiko's expression grew more and more confused and mortified.

"Wh-What the hell? What's going on here?"

Madoka ran into the bathroom and picked up the clothes discarded carelessly on the floor handing them to him, feeling a bit sorry for him. "Here," she said. "Put your clothes back on." She sat on the bed and pressed a hand to her forehead. _What happened…? How did we get here?_ She sighed as she ran over the events of the Dark Hour. _We came here, and Fuuka found the Shadow. We defeated a Shadow, but then Fuuka sensed another one just like it… or was it the same one? I don't remember… Then there was that strange mirror…_ She gasped loudly and she almost fell backward in surprise. "It's a trap!"

By now, Akihiko had put his shirt on, and was halfway through putting on his pants. "Wh-What? We have to regroup immediately!" He slipped his vest over his head as he and Madoka dashed outside the room, running down the halls to the hotel. "Fuuka!" Akihiko yelled into the device on his wrist. "Are you there?"

"Oh good, I can finally reach you!" Fuuka said on the other line. "I'm sorry… I never expected there to be another Shadow. I scoured the area, and I found out that you have to destroy all those mirrors to get to the Shadow!"

"Destroy the mirrors?" Akihiko repeated. "Got it. Do Yukari and Junpei know?"

"Yes, they're already on it," Fuuka replied. "Hurry!" They caught up to Yukari and Junpei soon enough, who were already in the process of smashing a mirror to pieces with a broom.

"Are you guys okay?" Madoka asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," Yukari replied. "I-I don't think we should split up from now on."

"Yeah, let's stick together," Akihiko agreed.

"Stupid mirrors…" Junpei grumbled as he whacked at the broken mirror shards with the broom. "Next thing we know, they'll be getting us to smash clocks with our school emblems on 'em…"

"I can take over, if you want," Madoka offered as she took the broom from him.

"You don't have to, Madoka-chan," Junpei said hurriedly.

"I'll do it," Madoka said more firmly. This was just like the monorail – it was her fault they couldn't avoid the Shadow's trap in the first place. "I'm the leader, right? So I should have made sure we didn't get separated in the first place!" No one said anything as she proceeded to smash all the mirrors in the hotel. And then finally, they found the Shadow.

Only this time, the Shadow was different – a winged heart-like figure floating in the air. And at that moment, Madoka couldn't control her anger, and she flung the broom at it, not even caring that it just phased through.

And, more quickly than the one with the previous Shadow, the battle was over.

* * *

Madoka was in high spirits as she practically skipped over to Mitsuru and Fuuka. "I'm glad you're all safe," Fuuka said, smiling.

"See, Tachibana?" Mitsuru asked with a smirk. "The mission was a success despite some minor difficulties – just like with the monorail. You _do_ have what it takes to be a leader."

"B-But we all got separated, a-and we all fell for the Shadow's trap—" Madoka tried to protest.

"But you withstood the enemy's mental assault," Mitsuru said. "You did well."

Madoka felt her face heat up, and she stared downward shyly. "Th-Thank you, Mitsuru-senpai."

Akihiko refused to even look in her direction. "All right. Let's call it a night." He left with Mitsuru then, conversing with her in hushed whispers that Madoka couldn't hear.

"Oh, Yukari!" Fuuka called suddenly as Yukari began to follow Mitsuru and Akihiko. "About that thing you mentioned the other day…"

Yukari whirled around. "You found out something?"

"Y-Yeah," Fuuka replied shakily.

Yukari grinned. "Cool. Tell me later." She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Alright! We should head back, too. Fuuka played a big role in this one, so score one for the second-years!" But with the awkwardness around her, Madoka's confidence and happiness faded quickly – and on top of everything else, Junpei was sulking. "Come on, Junpei. What are you doing?"

"Hey, Madoka…" Junpei said, but there was something about his voice that… seemed to push her away. "What're you trying so hard for?"

"Junpei-kun…?" Madoka said quietly. "I… Well I just thought…"

"Never mind," Junpei said, shoving his hands into his pockets and stalking away. "Forget it."

"Dude, what's the matter with you?" Yukari asked, still sounding cheerful despite Junpei's sullen tone. "Are you gonna keep sulking because a _girl_ got to be the leader this time too?"

"Shut up!" Junpei snapped, only his tone lacked the teasing, good-natured quality it usually possessed.

And for some reason, Madoka couldn't help but feel _guilty_.

* * *

One day, less than a week after the full moon operation, Ikutsuki came to the dorm. "I called today's meeting because—" the chairman began with a cheerful smile.

"I'm sorry," Yukari cut in, her face contorted into a scowl. "Before we go on, I'd like to ask _Mitsuru-senpai_ something."

"Me…?" Mitsuru said faintly, and Madoka couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in her gut that something was about to go very, very wrong. It was bad enough that Junpei continued to sulk long after the operation, refusing to regard her with anything more than a sarcastic, bitter quip, that Akihiko was ignoring her altogether for something that had to do with the illusion the Shadow forced them to see, and that Yukari and Fuuka were keeping secrets from the whole group. But this…

"Since I joined," Yukari said, "so many things have happened. I went along with it without really understanding what was going on… But now, I need to know." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm gonna ask you straight out. You've been hiding something from us, haven't you Senpai? You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus… but they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

"What accident?" The words were out of Madoka's mouth before she could stop them, and she was even more powerless to stop the images flooding her mind – the fire, the screams, the blood…

"Y-Yukari-chan…" Fuuka gasped.

"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died," Yukari explained. "Luckily, no students were injured, but around the same time, a large number of students were absent. Seems like more than just a coincidence."

"What do you mean?" Mitsuru asked as bluntly as usual, but Madoka didn't miss the anxiety underneath.

"I dug up some old school records, and I found something interesting," Yukari continued without abandon. "The students who were absent… They all collapsed suddenly, and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar? You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka."

"Stop it, Yukari-chan," Madoka said quietly.

"There has to be an explanation!" Yukari shouted. "What really happened the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you _must_ know something! Tell me the truth!"

"I wasn't trying to hide anything from you," Mitsuru whispered. "It just never seemed relevant. But…"

"It's okay," Ikutsuki said. "It's not your fault.

Madoka drew her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly. Mitsuru sighed and looked Yukari squarely in the eye. "All right. I'll tell you the whole story. The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"

"Like Personas…" Fuuka whispered, her gaze drifting briefly to Madoka.

"Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that line of thinking," Mitsuru explained. "He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Kouetsu Kirijo… my grandfather. He was obsessed with Shadows, and he wanted to harness their power for something extraordinary. He assembled a team of top scientists, and over several years, he put together an impressive collection of Shadows. However… ten years ago, in the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power… and in the process, the very nature of the world was altered."

"The Dark Hour…" Madoka whispered.

"Yes," Mitsuru said, nodding at her. "And Tartarus as well. By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed."

"So…" Fuuka said. "These are the Shadows we've been fighting all this time?"

"Wait a minute," Yukari interjected. "If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" She gasped suddenly, her eyes widening. "Don't tell me… _That's_ where they conducted the experiment?"

"Yes," Mitsuru said solemnly. "Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased… As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

"So you're saying…" Yukari whispered. "All we've been doing is cleaning up their mess? You lied to us!"

"I wasn't finished," Mitsuru said, her voice breaking a little. "The destruction wasn't localized to the school alone. A Shadow escaped and made as far as the Moonlight Bridge before…"

Something seized in Madoka's chest, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe. "They've just been using us!" Yukari yelled. "And you knew about it this whole time… didn't you, Senpai?"

"I apologize—" Mitsuru began.

"And what about you, Akihiko-senpai?" Yukari ranted. "You probably knew too, didn't you? Or did you not care so long as _you_ got to fight?"

"I never said anything like that!" Akihiko denied quickly.

"I'm sorry," Mitsuru said sincerely. "I never intended to deceive you. Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. Whether we like it or not, only we – with our Personas – can fight the Shadows."

"How could you?" Yukari demanded.

"Besides – some of us were never given a choice," Mitsuru said bitterly. "I…"

"Mitsuru," Akihiko interrupted. "Don't."

"Yukari," Ikutsuki said gently. "It's those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did. We're all in the same boat here – none of us deserve the burden that's been thrust upon us. It's been ten years since that incident, and no one knows why those Shadows suddenly returned. But since they're active, at least we can find them and destroy them. Do you realize what this means?"

"Well, if there's twelve that those old coots released," Junpei said, "then we'll be done cleaning up their mess if we defeat all of 'em?"

"Then Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear…" Akihiko mused.

"Exactly!" Ikutsuki said. "See? It's good news, isn't it?" But no one seemed to be in higher spirits. "I guess you just need some time to mull all this over. I'll be going now." And with the chairman, people filed out of the command room, until it was just Madoka and Junpei left.

Junpei's face was deceptively blank. "Hey, Madoka," he said. "What's with you? You said your parents died in a car accident, right? Why are you getting so worked up?"

"It's nothing," Madoka said automatically.

Junpei chuckled mirthlessly. "See, you're always like that – shutting out everyone who tries to get close to you."

Madoka had a strong feeling that she'd regret this later. "Junpei-kun, are you mad at me?"

"Gee, where did you get _that_ idea?" Junpei retorted sarcastically. "Nah, I'm not mad at _you_. Just mad that Senpai thinks someone like _you_ is our best leader."

"Wh-What?" Madoka gasped.

"Oh, come on," Junpei said bitterly. "What, did you seriously think you were some amazing hero just because you had a couple successful operations? Don't kid yourself."

"I-I'm sorry…" Madoka mumbled.

"See? Then there's _that_ too. You're not _really_ sorry, are you _Madoka-chan_? You just _say_ you are because you think that's all it takes to get on people's good side."

Madoka stiffened, tears welling up in her eyes. "Wh-What are you—"

"And then you pretend like you don't want anyone getting close to you! You're not _really _like that – I bet you're just doing it for the attention!"

"Stop it!" Madoka couldn't take it anymore, the words _you're just doing it for the attention_ echoing in her mind like a broken record. A few tears escaped, and she choked on a sob. "Y-You're horrible…" And with that she ran away, down to her room, and she shut and locked the door behind her. She slumped to the floor, drawing her knees to her chest, unable to stop crying.

She wanted Ryoji. She wanted her parents. But she knew that no one would come anyway.

* * *

She should have watched where she was going – she told herself that over and over again as she tried to come up with some reasonable explanation for running straight into Shinjiro on the street, almost suffocating on his warm-looking coat as she struggled to untangle herself from him. Maybe, if she'd been paying attention, she could have just brushed by him without attracting his attention.

But here he was, staring at her with an emotionless expression, demanding to know what exactly had her so preoccupied that she couldn't be bothered to pay attention to where she was walking. "Okay, better question," he said. "What's going on in your little group?"

Madoka looked away. "Why are you asking me that?" she whispered.

"Because I figured I'd get the best answer from you," Shinjiro retorted. "The most honest one, at least." Madoka didn't mean to start crying then – she really didn't. But her conversation with Junpei the previous day was already buzzing around in her head, not to mention Akihiko's strange behavior, Yukari's exasperation at Madoka's instinct to hold everyone she interacted with at arm's length, and Ryoji wasn't coming at night… "Shit, sorry, I didn't—" Shinjiro sighed and grabbed her wrist. "Come on."

"Wh-Where are we going?" Madoka asked.

"Just shut up," Shinjiro snapped. And, as it turned out, he was leading her to Chagall Café, and they stood in line together, with Madoka furiously drying her eyes to avoid people's stares. "Whaddya want?"

"To drink?"

"No, to asphyxiate on. What do you think?"

"Oh…" Madoka mumbled. "Um… Just coffee, I guess…"

"Two coffees," Shinjiro told the barista. And in minutes, he carried two steaming mugs as he led her over to a couch. "So, tell me what's going on with the group."

"It's nothing," Madoka said automatically.

But Shinjiro was unconvinced. "That's bullshit, and you know it."

Madoka bit her lower lip. Junpei and Yukari had both pointed out that she had a tendency to shut people out… and even though Shinjiro _technically_ wasn't in SEES, that didn't mean Madoka couldn't trust him, did it? Especially when Akihiko and Mitsuru seemed to trust him enough already? So she told him everything, deliberately removing the filter from her brain to her mouth.

It was when she started delving a little too deeply into her own life story that Shinjiro stopped her. "All right, so things are a mess right now," he concluded.

"I don't know what to do…" Madoka whispered. "Everyone's…"

Shinjiro sighed. "Y'know what it sounds like? They all have their own issues to deal with, and they're all taking it out on you. Iori's got one hell of an inferiority complex, and you bruised his ego a little. Takeba's got her own issues with Mitsuru. Aki's an awkward little shit who reads too much into things. It ain't got shit to do with you."

"But why me?" Madoka couldn't help but ask.

Shinjiro shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe you're just the easiest target."

"But I don't want to be the easiest target." She sighed as she cradled her still warm mug in her hands. "I don't want to be the leader anymore…"

"If that's your decision and not Iori's, then tell Aki that," Shinjiro advised.

Madoka smiled gently at him. "Thanks so much for listening, Senpai. I… I've never really talked like that with someone before."

The faintest of smiles appeared on Shinjiro's face. "Don't mention it," he replied. His smile widened slightly. "Y'know, if you didn't start crying over there, I probably would've just left you."

"I-I'm sorry…"

"Nah, don't be."

But even after the more serious conversation was over, Madoka couldn't bring herself to leave, and she and Shinjiro conversed for hours and hours afterward.

* * *

_Word count: 23463_


	10. Reminiscence: Strega

**Reminiscence: Strega**

Mamoru Hayase woke up with one foot raised in the air, as if he was in the middle of running, and he crashed to the ground as he lost his balance. "What the…?" Slowly, the events of the evening returned to him – he'd gone out for a jog a little too late, and he strayed a little too close to the back alley, and then…

And then what? How did he fall asleep? Why did he fall asleep in the first place? Just what was going on?

The sound of someone clearing his throat snapped him out of his thoughts, and he noticed for the first time three teenagers around his age looming almost ominously before him – a blue-haired, glasses wearing boy carrying a particularly large black briefcase, a girl with a frilly white dress and long red hair, and the leader – a shirtless boy with long, wavy hair. "Mamoru-san, is it?" the wavy-haired boy said in a smooth, velvety voice that sent a shiver down Mamoru's spine.

"What do you want?" Mamoru said in a low whisper, desperate to contain his anxiety.

The wavy-haired boy smirked almost cruelly. "Let's play a little game, shall we? Ah, a competition, if you will."

Mamoru frowned. "What sort of competition?"

"A guessing game," the girl answered, her face expressionless. "There is one person who wishes you dead. Would you care to guess who it is?"

Mamoru forced himself to not think about just how bizarre the situation was as he struggled to come up with someone who could possibly hate him so much that they'd want him dead altogether. "I guess…" he said slowly. "… someone I defeated at an athletic competition at some point? I can't think of anyone else. Am I right?"

"We don't know," the blue-haired boy said bluntly, "and frankly, it's none of our concern."

Mamoru's eyes widened in horror as he took a step back. "Wh-Who are you?" he said in a shaky whisper. "Wh-What do you want from me?"

"That's none of your concern," the wavy-haired boy said. "But I suppose our names couldn't hurt. The name's Takaya Sakaki, and these are my associates Jin Shirato and Chidori Yoshino."

The blue-haired boy – Jin, probably – nodded once, and the faintest of smiles appeared on the girl Chidori's face. "Pleased to meet you," they both said almost mockingly in unison.

Takaya smirked as he pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Mamoru. "Any last words?"

Mamoru took a step back. "W-Wait! You're not seriously going to kill me, are you?"

"One," Takaya said as he took a step toward Mamoru.

"B-But I didn't do anything!"

"Two." Jin turned away, and Chidori's face grew expressionless.

"Please, don't…"

The revolver was pressed against Mamoru's forehead now, and the metal felt so, so cold. At that moment, Mamoru prayed that he would survive this whole ordeal, if only to find the person who hated him so much and apologize for… well… making said person hate him so much. Takaya smirked cruelly as he fingered the trigger. "Three."

Takaya must have shot him – that was the only reasonable explanation for why everything hurt so much. But Mamoru knew one thing for sure – the pain dulled as quickly as it came, and the ground seemed to disappear from beneath his feet, and he fell forever.

* * *

_Word count: 24016_


	11. Chapter 6: Yakushima

**Chapter 6: Yakushima**

"Wait, wait, wait, explain it again," Yukari said in the dormitory lounge a day before finals. She rested her head on one hand and tapped a particular math problem with her pencil.

The pencil Madoka was twirling flew out of her hand, and Yukari handed her the pencil she was holding. "Trig identities, Yukari-chan," Madoka said. "Remember? Sine of two X equals two sine X cosine X, and you just substitute that here…" Out of the corner of her eye, Madoka could see Mitsuru open her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, and then close it immediately. Yukari sighed and refused to look in Mitsuru's direction altogether.

Fuuka was typing away on her laptop, and Junpei was twirling his pencil while staring absentmindedly at the wall instead of at the book before him. The front door opened, and Akihiko strolled in, his face red and his clothes and body drenched in sweat. "I'm home." No one bothered to acknowledge his presence. "What's wrong, everyone? You guys hungry?"

"Not really…" Yukari mumbled, and then awkward silence reigned.

"Um…" Fuuka piped up uncertainly. "It's almost summer break. Do you guys have any plans?"

"I wish I could go to the beach," Junpei said with a grin. "Hot sand, cool breeze… babes in bikinis…"

"Kagoshima's always nice," Madoka said with a faint smile.

"I agree," Fuuka said. "I'd love to go somewhere known for its beautiful beaches… like Okinawa!"

"Well, it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?" Madoka jumped as she noticed just then that Ikutsuki was standing by the kitchen countertop, smiling with a glass of lemonade in his hand. "Mitsuru, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break. You'll all have some time off after exams, right? Why don't you go and pay him a surprise visit?"

"Seriously?" Junpei asked incredulously. "We're going on a trip? Yes! Beach babes, here I come!"

Yukari groaned. "Men…" Fuuka just chuckled.

"I don't know…" Madoka said slowly. "I don't think I can afford it… and I'll have to ask my cousin if it's okay anyway."

"Don't worry," Ikutsuki assured her. "Think of this as a little reward for working so hard these past few months All costs will be covered. So how about it, Mitsuru?"

"But…" Mitsuru said quietly. "My father is a busy man. I don't want to ruin his vacation."

Ikutsuki simply chuckled. "No father would be upset that his daughter came all that way just to visit him. We already know when the next operation will be, so it should be fine."

Mitsuru sighed and smiled faintly. "All right. I guess everyone needs a break now and then. Let's do it."

"Woohoo!" Junpei cheered.

"The beach, huh?" Akihiko muttered. "I should design a special training regimen."

"Oh, why don't we invite Shinjiro too?" Ikutsuki suggested.

"I don't think he'd wanna come," Akihiko protested.

"But we should at least invite him," Madoka blurted out before she could stop herself. Yukari smirked mischievously at her, which Madoka pointedly ignored. "I still need to buy a swimsuit."

"Me too," Fuuka said. "Are you going to swim too, Ikutsuki-san?"

"I'm afraid not," the chairman replied. "I'll turn to dust if I'm exposed to sunlight."

"Whoa, was that a joke?" Junpei asked.

"Of course it was," Akihiko deadpanned as he stood up. "Alright, I'm gonna call Shinji."

"I'm going to head upstairs too," Fuuka said. "I don't think I'll get any work done; I'll be too excited about the trip if I'm with you guys!"

Mitsuru stood up and left as well, and Yukari ran after her. "Mitsuru-senpai, wait!"

Madoka smiled as she gathered her books and left without a word. She got as far as the staircase before she was stopped. "Hey, Madoka-chan!" Junpei ran up to her, looking rather sheepish. "Uh…" Without warning, he grabbed her books from her arms so that she was left with just her pencil and eraser. "Let me carry those for you."

"Junpei-kun…?"

"Look, uh…" He refused to look in her direction, but Madoka didn't miss the way his arms seemed to tense around the books. "So I was kind of a colossal dick to you earlier, and… I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said that day."

"It was still true, though."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean—"

Madoka felt like she should have forgiven him then, but some unpleasant, unidentifiable emotion stirring inside her made it impossible. It wasn't anger, and it wasn't that she still felt hurt by his words, but it was somewhere between the two, with a little bitterness mixed in. "It doesn't matter," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "I'm not leading operations anymore – Mitsuru-senpai is now that Fuuka-chan's taken over support."

"Wait, did _she_ tell you that?" Junpei asked incredulously. By now, they'd finally reached her room, and Madoka took her books from him and opened the door.

"No," Madoka replied, leaning against the door to keep it open. "I asked if I could step down."

Junpei looked downward and tugged at his cap. "Shit, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to get you to—"

"It didn't have anything to do with you, Junpei-kun, so don't worry about it," Madoka cut him off. "Sorry, but I have to go now. There's still some studying I want to get in." Needless to say, with Junpei's dumbfounded expression being the last thing she saw before she shut the door, she only felt a little guilty.

* * *

"Top of the class, Madoka-chan," Junpei said as he, Madoka, Fuuka, and Yukari walked outside the school gate. "Seriously?"

"Well she _did_ hole herself up in her room while all that drama was going on," Yukari said.

"Schoolwork gets my mind off things," Madoka said blandly.

"Hmm…" Fuuka mused. "Maybe I should try studying when I want to get my mind off of things too…"

Just then, Akihiko walked in front of them. "Hey, could you guys stay here for a minute?" he asked. "Ikutsuki-san wanted to meet us. Something about a new recruit."

"Oh, is it another girl?" Junpei asked, grinning.

"Nice try," Yukari retorted.

A black car stopped at the curb, and Ikutsuki stepped outside, smiling at the group. "Oh good, you're all here. I'd like you all to meet the newest member of SEES." He opened the passenger door, and a rather short boy who looked like he belonged in elementary school stepped outside. "This is Ken Amada."

Akihiko gasped. "Oh, hi Ken-kun," Yukari said awkwardly. "What's up?"

"You know him?" Madoka asked.

"I've seen him by the shrine a few times," Yukari said. "So, uh…"

"He doesn't leave during the break because of his… circumstances," Ikutsuki said.

"Oh…" Yukari mumbled. "I heard about that. Something about his parents…"

"Oh, I see…" Madoka whispered as the answer came to her quickly. "So you're living here with family, Ken-kun?"

"Right now, one of his relatives is paying for his school expenses," Ikutsuki said. "But staying at the elementary school dorm all by himself isn't proper for a boy his age, so I decided to move him to your dorm."

"Is that allowed?" Madoka asked, looking to Ikutsuki.

"Well, he _does_ have the potential," Ikutsuki said.

"Then _he's_ the new candidate?" Akihiko asked faintly, and Madoka noticed for the first time just how pale he looked.

"Are you… Sanada-senpai?" Ken asked, smiling. "I've heard a lot about you! You haven't lost a boxing match yet! It's a real honor to meet you!"

"Yeah, uh…" Akihiko muttered. "It's nice to meet you too."

You couldn't have cut through the tension with the strongest Persona's slash.

* * *

Madoka couldn't believe her luck as she ran into Shinjiro yet again at the shrine. "Jeez," Shinjiro muttered. "I'm running into you _everywhere_."

Madoka just smiled at him, unable to get over just how comfortable she felt around him now – more so than she felt with any other member of SEES, come to think of it. "It's nice to see you again, Senpai."

"Well you look like you're in higher spirits," he said, though his expression barely changed at all.

"It's, well…" Madoka said. "Things are going well right now. Finals just got over, there's no more drama, we're all going to Yakushima…"

"Oh yeah, I heard about that," Shinjiro said. "Aki asked me to come."

"You should," Madoka told him.

Shinjiro smirked slightly. "I'll think about it."

"So…" Madoka stood on her toes that he didn't tower over her nearly as much. "That's _not_ a no, then."

"Not you too…"

Madoka just laughed. But then, the moment was ruined when her cell phone rang at precisely that moment. "Sorry," she told him as she dug through her bag for it. "It's probably Yukari-chan or something." But the name that appeared on the screen was her cousin's, and she could only wonder what he could possibly want with her at the moment. Shinjiro seemed to pick up on her unease, and he practically hovered over her as she answered the phone. "H-Hello?"

"How's it going, dear sister of mine?" came Hidehiko's bombastic response.

"Oh, it's um…" Madoka mumbled. "I'm doing okay, Hidehiko-san. How about you?"

"Spectacular!" Hidehiko enthused. "You just got done with finals, didn't you? Man, that is one part of high school I do _not_ miss. So, any plans for the break?"

"Oh, um…" Shinjiro raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Me and some friends were going to go to Yakushima next week. U-Um, you don't have to worry about the cost or anything. It's all covered."

"Really?" Hidehiko yelled. "I'm going to Yakushima too! And, surprise, surprise, surprise, I'll be there the same time as you! What do you say we meet up, Madoka-chan?"

"Sure," Madoka answered uneasily. "If you want."

"Great! We'll work out the details later. Okay, bye, Madoka-chan!"

"B-Bye…" Madoka released the breath she didn't even realize she was holding as she flipped her phone shut.

"What was that all about?" Shinjiro asked, raising one eyebrow.

"My cousin," Madoka replied shakily. "He's… kind of my guardian."

"You don't get along with him?" Shinjiro asked, his eyes softening a bit.

"No, it's not that…" Madoka said quietly. "It's just…" She exhaled sharply. "I didn't get along too well with a lot of other relatives, so…"

"I get it," Shinjiro said, saving her from having to give him an awkward explanation.

Madoka closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _It's okay. You can tell him. You told him a lot before._ "I… I never thought there were other people… like me."

"Whaddya mean?"

"My parents died when I was little, and I've been passed around different relatives," Madoka explained. "They're not bad people – it's me that's the problem. There's… I think it might have been my Persona that pushed everyone away. I'm not sure. But…"

"So it's not that you're having problems with your cousin," Shinjiro said quietly. "It's that you don't want to get close enough to cause any problems for him."

"Yeah…" Madoka said. "But… It's easier now. I think it's because of everyone in SEES, but I'm not sure." She gave a small smile. "Oh, that reminds me – we might be getting a new member. He's in elementary school, so nothing's set in stone yet. His name's Ken Amada." Shinjiro made a choking noise, and his body jerked. "Are you okay, Senpai?" Without warning, he doubled over, coughing. "Senpai!"

But the coughing fit was over as quickly as quickly as it came, and Shinjiro raised one hand to indicate that he was fine. "Sorry about that."

"Are you okay?" Madoka asked. "Maybe you should stay here and rest instead of coming with us to Yakushima…"

"I'll come," Shinjiro said bluntly, leaving no room for argument.

"B-But if you're coming down with a cold…"

"It's not a cold," Shinjiro assured her. "I'm coming."

Madoka sighed. "Just don't push yourself…"

* * *

"Wow…" Fuuka gasped in the Kirijo family's mansion in Yakushima.

"It's like we're in an episode of Lifstyles of the Rich and Fabulous…" Junpei said.

"Are we really allowed to stay here?" Madoka asked.

"Damn, Kirijo," Shinjiro muttered, smirking. "You really outdid yourself."

Two old maids walked over and bowed to Mitsuru. "Welcome back, Milady."

"We won't be here long," Mitsuru told them, "but I'll be relying on you during our stay."

"You have _maids_?" Yukari asked incredulously.

One maid smiled at her. "You must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home."

Suddenly, a dark-haired man in a suit entered from a door at the end of the hall. Mitsuru bowed her head to him, but she still seemed tense. "It's good to see you." The man simply nodded once and walked through another door.

"Was that…?" Fuuka asked.

"Her father?" Yukari finished.

"Dude, talk about scary," Junpei said. "He's not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?"

"Don't be stupid," Akihiko retorted.

Mitsuru chuckled. "We won't be here long, but make yourself at home."

"Sweet!" Junpei enthused. "This is gonna be awesome! Wanna go to the beach? It's right there! Dude!" He linked arms with Shinjiro and Akihiko and began dragging them out the door. "C'mon, let's go!"

"H-Hey!" Akihiko yelled.

Yukari giggled. "Wanna get changed? We'll meet them there in a bit."

* * *

"Yikes…" Yukari muttered. "What's with Akihiko-senpai's swimsuit? And is Shinjiro-senpai _seriously_ gonna wear his coat _here_?"

Madoka tilted her head to the side. What Akihiko was wearing… "I think the towel covered more."

"You've seen Akihiko-senpai in a towel?" Fuuka asked incredulously.

"Yeah, back during the last operation," Madoka replied. "When that Shadow messed with our minds. Remember?"

"Oh, so towels _and_ coats, huh?" Yukari teased.

"Yukari-chan…"

By now, they finally reached the boys. "About time you guys got here," Akihiko said with a smirk. Yukari refused to look in his direction altogether. "Something wrong, Yukari?"

"That's a pretty… small… swimsuit," she said awkwardly.

"What, don't you know?" Akihiko asked. "Swimsuits like this reduce water resistance and—"

"You really are an idiot," Shinjiro muttered from his shady spot under an umbrella.

"Aren't you going to swim, Shinjiro-senpai?" Fuuka asked.

"Nah," Akihiko said. "How did the chairman put it? He'll turn to dust in sunlight."

"Oh ho ho…" Junpei chuckled mischievously. "Yuka-tan's wearing a more aggressive model than I imagined!"

"What are you talking about?" Yukari asked.

Junpei slid over to Madoka, taking both her hands in his. "And look at our dear former leader! She's one cute little mermaid herself!"

"H-Huh?" Madoka mumbled, feeling her face heating up.

Junpei shifted to Fuuka almost immediately. "And here we have the lovely Miss Yamagishi!"

"Wait…" Fuuka said slowly. "Are you talking about her swimsuits?"

"Of course he is," Yukari deadpanned.

Just then, Mitsuru walked over. "And here's our final contestant!" Junpei announced.

"Wow…" Fuuka gasped. "Mitsuru-senpai… You're beautiful!"

"Yeah, your skin is flawless!" Yukari said.

"Did you already put on sunscreen?" Madoka asked.

"N-No, not yet," Mitsuru replied, blushing a little.

"Man, I'm in heaven!" Junpei practically squealed. "How about a swim? Shinjiro-senpai, you're not getting out of this one!"

"On three?" Akihiko asked, smirking.

"What, what're you two—" Shinjiro started.

"One," Akihiko said.

"Two," Junpei continued.

"Three!" they both yelled in unison. Without warning, Akihiko lifted Shinjiro up by the shoulders while Junpei lifted the taller boy's legs.

"H-Hey!" Shinjiro yelled, flailing in their grasp. "Put me down!" He was soon reduced to a coughing, spluttering mess when Akihiko and Junpei threw him into the water. "That's it, you are _so_ dead!"

Madoka frowned as she glanced behind her. She'd been feeling a bit uneasy for a while – as if there was someone watching her. "You okay?" Yukari asked.

"I'm fine," Madoka replied absentmindedly. "It's just… nothing."

"Madoka…" Yukari said almost warningly.

"Okay, so it felt like someone was watching me," Madoka said quickly. "But I'm not sure."

"It's probably just some perv," Yukari assured her. "Don't worry too much about it."

The feeling started to subside, and Madoka sighed. "Okay…"

* * *

That night, Mitsuru's father requested that everyone meet in the reception room. "From what I understand," he said once everyone was properly situated, "Mitsuru has already given you the short version. "Well, it's true. We adults are to blame. If I could have atoned for it with my life, I would have done so. Now, I have no choice but to rely on you. What my father wanted to create with those monsters' power was a time manipulation device."

"_That's_ what he was trying to do?" Mitsuru asked incredulously.

"Imagine," her father said. "If you could control the flow of time, eliminate unwanted events before they occur… With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking. However, under my father's direction, the research began to stray from its original goal. In his later years, my father seemed to have only nihilism in his heart… Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free of all of that. It's only natural that you want to know the truth… and it's my duty to tell you." He clicked a button on the remote he was holding, and a large projector screen descended from the ceiling. Before long, old footage began playing on it.

"What's this?" Akihiko asked.

"This is the only existing footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene," Mitsuru's father explained.

The screen was blurry, making it impossible to tell who the scientist on the screen was. "I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…" he said in a shaking voice. "My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea. This experiment should never have been conceived. I'm afraid what I've done will bring about unprecedented disaster… But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price. Please, listen carefully… The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion. To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them! I am to blame for this… I knew the risks, and yet I didn't raise any objections, blinded by the promise of success." The scientist's face suddenly became clear – and it was startlingly familiar.

Madoka covered her ears as the sound of a loud explosion emanated from the old video footage. Yukari stared at the now blank screen, her eyes wide. "Dad…?"

"Father…" Mitsuru said quietly.

"His name was Eiichiro Takeba," Mitsuru's father said. "He was the head researcher at the time, and a very talented man. But we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue his research. The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death."

"I…" Mitsuru mumbled. "I don't believe it…"

"So that means…" Yukari almost whimpered. "My dad caused it all…? The Dark Hour, Tartarus, the people who died in that incident… It was all his fault?"

"Yukari-chan…" Madoka whispered. She didn't remember much of Yukari's father – only that he was a kind man who was always smiling. But still…

"So you just hid this because you felt sorry for me?" Yukari demanded. "Is that it?"

"No, Takeba, I…" Mitsuru protested weakly.

"I don't want your pity!" Yukari shrieked before running off. And when Madoka left the room to follow her, no one but Shinjiro noticed.

* * *

"Yukari-chan!" Madoka called as she finally reached her childhood friend at the beach. Having sprinted all the way, she was left breathless, and she put her hands on her knees, panting.

"Hey, Madoka," Yukari said listlessly.

"Are you okay?" Madoka asked worriedly.

Yukari smiled, but it was obvious just how strained it was. "I'm fine." She sighed. "Hey… Wanna sit down for a bit?" And so they did, side by side, and it was almost like their old play dates at the shrine, where they'd sit on the bench together, or on the swings together… only the situation was so much more serious now. "You're so lucky. Your parents were _normal_. And they died in a normal car accident, and not…" She trailed off before shaking her head furiously. "What am I saying…? Sorry. That was…"

"Don't worry about it," Madoka told her.

"I had to move around a lot too, you know," Yukari said. "Probably not as much as you, but still. Since my dad was the head researcher, people were really mean to me and my mom after he died… but all this time, I kept telling myself that it wasn't his fault. I loved him a lot, and I never believed that he could do anything wrong." She sighed. "You know… when I first got my power, I was really scared… but I thought that, if I just cooperated with the Kirijo Group a little, I could find out what really happened. That's why I agreed to fight using my Persona. But… all of that was for nothing."

"That's not true," Madoka said.

Yukari laughed mirthlessly. "You're just trying to make me feel better. But… why _my_ father and not Mitsuru-senpai's?" She sighed. "Sorry. I bet you think I'm a horrible person, huh?"

"No, you're not," Madoka replied.

But she wasn't prepared for Yukari to suddenly glare at her. "Stop acting like you have all the answers!"

"I-I'm sorry…"

"No…" Yukari rested her head on Madoka's shoulder. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. My head's a mess…" Madoka rested her head on top of Yukari's and sighed. "Thanks for listening, Madoka."

Just then, the air grew oppressive and heavy, and the sparkling blue sea water turned crimson. Madoka groaned as she turned away, trying not to look at the water. "We should probably head back."

"Oh, I forgot," Yukari said as she stood up and helped Madoka up as well. "It doesn't matter where you are when the Dark Hour occurs. Ugh, the ocean looks so creepy now…"

"Just don't look at it," Madoka said quickly as she and Yukari power walked back to the mansion.

"You know, it's weird," Yukari said. "Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens in the Dark Hour."

"Not necessarily," Madoka said. "I didn't awaken to my Persona until I came here, but I knew about the Dark Hour before… ever since the accident…" She stopped when that same strange feeling from before, like she was being watched, returned.

"Something wrong?" Yukari asked.

But then the feeling faded. "I'm fine," Madoka said quietly.

* * *

"Ah, the air is so fresh," Fuuka sighed as she, Yukari, Madoka, Mitsuru, and Shinjiro walked through the woods. "I never thought a walk in the woods could be so enjoyable. You can't do this in Iwatodai." But Mitsuru and Yukari still remained awkwardly distant and reserved.

"So, um…" Madoka said slowly. "A-Are you having fun, Shinjiro-senpai?"

"What're you asking _me_ that for?" he retorted.

"Oh…" Madoka mumbled, wringing her hands together. "I just thought…"

Shinjiro sighed. "Yeah," he answered. "Beats that _babe hunt_ Aki and Iori are doing."

Just then, Mitsuru's cell phone rang, and she answered it immediately, putting it to speakerphone. "Mitsuru speaking," she said.

"Well, I'm at the lab here on the island," Ikutsuki said on the other line. "A machine that was considered inoperable suddenly left the facility on its own."

"What kind of machine is it?" Fuuka asked. "I need detailed information to locate anything other than Shadows."

"It's a combat vehicle," Ikutsuki said. "An anti-Shadow weapon, to be precise."

"A combat vehicle?" Yukari repeated. "You mean like a tank?"

"Do the others know?" Shinjiro asked.

"H-Hang on," Madoka said as she dug through her bag for her cell phone. "I'll call Junpei-kun."

"We're not currently with the others, so it might take some time for us all to assemble," Mitsuru explained.

"Regardless, I want you to handle this as soon as possible," Ikutsuki said. "I'm on my way there now."

"If the target cannot be captured, do we have permission to destroy it?" Mitsuru asked.

Ikutsuki laughed nervously. "I highly doubt you'll be able to destroy it."

"So we'll just tie it down and make sure it can't do anything," Shinjiro said. "No big deal."

"Exactly," Ikutuski said. "Just do your best. I'll call you again later." And with that, the call ended.

Madoka, having received no luck whatsoever in reaching Junpei or Akihiko, groaned as she shoved her phone back in her bag. "I can't get through to either of them…"

"Geez!" Yukari yelled. "Where could they be?"

"Don't panic," Mitsuru said. "We'll go back and get our Evokers, and then we'll have Yamagishi scan the area."

"No need," Shinjiro muttered as he reached into a pocket in his jacket and pulled out an Evoker, tossing it to Fuuka.

"Thank you, Senpai," Madoka said earnestly.

"Whatever…" Shinjiro said in a low voice.

Within a few seconds, Lucia was summoned, and everyone waited anxiously. "I don't know…" Fuuka said slowly. "I think I've found it, but… W-Wait! It's coming here!"

"What?" Yukari shrieked. "Wh-What're we gonna do? We only have one Evoker, and there's five of us!"

And, all too quickly, Madoka could feel like she was being watched again, and she wrapped her arms around herself self-consciously – only the feeling was much stronger than before. A girl with short blonde hair stepped into the clearing with an emotionless expression, and she stared directly at Madoka. "Whaddya want?" Shinjiro demanded.

"S-Senpai!" Madoka squeaked.

"Now I am certain…" the strange girl said in a disjointed voice. "I have found you." Without warning, the girl wrapped her arms around Madoka and hugged her tightly. "I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you!"

"Wh-What…?" Madoka whispered. She tried to worm her way out of the girl's grasp, but the girl refused to let go.

"Hey, there she is!" Junpei suddenly ran into the clearing, Akihiko not too far behind. "Wait, what? What's going on here?"

But the girl still refused to let go. "I see…" Akihiko mused. "So _that's_ her preference. Well _that_ explains why we got the cold shoulder…"

"Uh, what are you doing in the middle of the woods, in your swimsuits?" Fuuka asked Junpei and Akihiko.

"About time you guys showed up," Yukari snapped. "Great, so now that you're here, _help us_! We have a problem!"

"Can you let go now?" Madoka asked the girl uncertainly. The girl still hugged her, in addition to refusing to respond.

"Listen," Mitsuru said. "We've encountered a problem. I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation, but we need to prepare for battle.

"Yeah, one Evoker isn't gonna cut it for all of us," Yukari added.

"Oh, there you guys are!" Ikutsuki stumbled into the clearing, smiling. "You found it!"

"What do you mean?" Fuuka asked.

"Aigis, what did we say about leaving the lab without permission?" Ikutsuki asked in a scolding tone.

"I know," the girl hugging Madoka said in a monotone, all while refusing to let go.

It took all of twenty minutes to pry the strange girl off of Madoka and for Ikutsuki to practically drag her away. Later on in the evening, everyone, including the girl, congregated in the same room as the previous night, confused beyond belief. "I'm sorry for all the trouble," Ikutsuki said, "but everything's under control now."

"So what happened to capturing the tank?" Fuuka asked.

"Oh, that's been taken care of," Ikutsuki said fleetingly. "Come here, Aigis."

"Coming," the girl said, standing up almost mechanically and walking over to Ikutsuki.

"Everyone, this is Aigis," Ikutsuki introduced. "As you can see, she's a mechanical maiden."

"I am Aigis," she said in the same disjointed voice as before. "My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"No way…" Yukari gasped. "It's like she's… alive."

"This is unbelievable," Akihiko muttered.

"She's so cute, but…" Junpei said. "… she's a robot…"

"Whose biggest priority is to be with Madoka, apparently," Shinjiro deadpanned.

"Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows," Ikutsuki explained. "Aigis was the last to be made, and she's the only one that still remains today."

"An anti-Shadow weapon…?" Mitsuru echoed. "Does that mean she…?"

"Yes," Aigis answered. "I am capable of operating the Persona Palladion of the Chariot Arcanum."

"She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since," Ikutsuki continued. "It's still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning."

"Oh, so are you okay now, Aigis-san?" Madoka asked.

"My condition does not matter," Aigis replied. "It is very important for me to remain by your side."

"But…" Madoka protested weakly. "Why _me_?"

"Hmm…" Ikutsuki mused. "Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning…"

"I don't think it's that," Yukari said.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot!" Ikutsuki said suddenly. "Mitsuru, Mr. Kei Nanjo happens to be vacationing here right now as well."

"Mr. Nanjo is here?" Mitsuru asked, her eyes widening a little.

"He requested that you dine with him tomorrow night," Ikutsuki said. "And when I say 'you,' I mean _all_ of you, because apparently his friends are here as well."

"Wait, who's this Nanjo guy?" Junpei asked. "Mitsuru-senpai's boyfriend?"

"I think the term you're looking for here is _fiancé_," Fuuka said.

Mitsuru chuckled. "No, it's nothing of that sort. The Kirijo Group and the Nanjo Group used to be one and the same, before the Kirijo Group became its own entity. Though I suppose this would be a good opportunity for you all to establish some connections."

"So, is this _Kei Nanjo_ cute?" Yukari asked Mitsuru teasingly.

Mitsuru's face turned nearly as red as her hair. "I-I beg your pardon?"

* * *

"Hey there, Madoka-chan!" Hidehiko practically screamed on the phone the next day. "How's your vacation going? I'm _dying_ to see you!"

Madoka felt her eye twitch at that, and she couldn't tell whether her cousin truly understood the implications of his pun. "It's going well," she answered. "We're leaving tomorrow, actually."

"What?" Hidehiko yelled. "Aw, so we won't have time to meet!"

Madoka almost sighed in relief, but managed to restrain herself. "Yeah, that's too bad."

"Okay, so you should definitely come home for at least a weekend this summer," Hidehiko said.

"Come _home_?" Madoka echoed. Hidehiko lived in Sumaru City, and while it wasn't so far from Port Island, it was still a considerable distance.

"Well, yeah," Hidehiko said in a serious tone. "Sumaru's your home now, Madoka. Port Island too, but more Sumaru."

"Oh… right…"

"Well, see you later, Madoka-chan!" And with that, Hidehiko hung up, and Madoka sighed in relief as she leaned back on the towel under the umbrella.

Shinjiro sat next to her, having finally forgone his coat and opting instead for a black sleeveless shirt. His hat was still there, though. "Your insane cousin?" he asked.

"Yeah," Madoka replied.

"So why do you put up with him anyway?" Shinjiro asked.

Madoka shrugged in response. "He's the first person since my great aunt when I was ten who actually _wanted_ to take me in. I don't know why, though. He's kind of infamous in the family for having a ginormous ego."

"Beats an orphanage, though," Shinjiro muttered.

Out of the corner of her eye, Madoka could see a girl with long brown hair stumbling over to the umbrella. The girl looked strangely familiar, almost as if… "Asami?"

"Wow, it really _is_ you, Madoka," the girl replied, smiling. "I saw you here a couple days ago, but I wasn't sure if it was you."

"Oh…" Madoka said slowly. "Well… It's, um… me…"

"Friend of yours?" Shinjiro asked, saving her from any more awkwardness.

"Oh!" Madoka gasped. "Um… S-Senpai, this is my cousin Asami."

"Nice to meet you," Asami said. "So, are you here with friends?"

"Yeah…" Madoka replied. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I am," Asami said. "You won't _believe_ how long it took to convince Dad to let me come. Was your…? Wait, who do you live with now?"

"A cousin on my mom's side," Madoka said. "Hidehiko Uesugi. He, um… He's here too, but we didn't come together, and we don't really have time to meet up."

"Oh, okay…" Asami said. "Well, see you around!"

And, once again, Madoka sighed in relief once her cousin was gone. "Your family's weird," Shinjiro said bluntly.

Before Madoka could get another word in, Aigis stomped over to them and wrapped her hand around Madoka's wrist, dragging her through the sand. "A-Aigis-san!"

"Junpei-kun wishes to partake in a recreational activity in the water," Aigis said. "Since my highest priority is to be with you, it is only natural that you participate as well." Without warning, Aigis flung her into the ocean with one arm. And in the distance, Shinjiro was smirking all the while.

… that is, until Akihiko and Junpei struck, lifting him and throwing him in the ocean as well. "Dammit, not again!"

* * *

"All right," Mitsuru said sharply as all of SEES congregated outside a large door in the Nanjo family vacation home. "Now I want you all to be on your best behavior. Mr. Nanjo is a very sophisticated man, and he may be offended by the slightest provocation. Proceed with caution."

"Geez, Senpai," Junpei drawled. "You're making it sound like we're going to fight Shadows or something!"

Yukari groaned. "Can we just go already?"

And with that, Mitsuru opened the door, revealing… quite a crowd, actually. There was an important-looking man wearing glasses and a bright blue scarf with the number one embroidered on it. Next to him were two women with short brown hair, one with a beauty mark by her mouth. A woman with dark curly hair partially covered by a grey cap and a shorter woman with dyed blonde hair. Two men – an intimidating-looking one wearing a suit and a shorter man wearing a bright yellow cap – stood by a smiling woman with wavy brown hair pulled into a messy side ponytail. And the last of the group, a red haired man…

Hidehiko noticed her before she could say a word, and his eyes widened in surprise and something akin to horror. "No _way_!" His jaw remained open, and he pointed a finger at Madoka.

"Wh-What are _you_ doing here?" Madoka asked in a mortified squeak.

"Wait, don't tell me you actually _know_ people here," Junpei said.

"Wait, wait, wait," Hidehiko said, practically sprinting across the room to Madoka. "You're friends with _Kirijo_? Since _when_?" He didn't look angry at all – actually, he looked more surprised than anything else. But still, Madoka couldn't bring herself to even look into his eyes, let alone say anything.

One of the short-haired women – the one with the beauty mark – walked over, smiling gently. "Oh, so _you're_ Hidehiko's cousin," she said. "I didn't expect to meet you _here_, of all places." She held out her hand. "I'm Maki Sonomura."

Madoka shook the woman's hand reluctantly. "M-Madoka Tachibana."

"So you already know people here, Tachibana?" Mitsuru asked, smiling. "This really is a small world."

"Oh, right…" Madoka mumbled. "Everyone, this is my cousin Hidehiko."

"You can call me Brown!" Hidehiko said. "Or Brown-sama. Whatever floats your boat!"

"Everyone!" the curly-haired woman said, clapping her hands. "Why don't we start eating? We'll talk more then."

The woman wearing a cap smirked. "About time," she said. "I'm starving."

The other short-haired woman smiled serenely. "We can do introductions after we start eating."

"Didn't you want to say something, Kei-kun?" the curly-haired woman asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Ah, yes," the glasses-wearing man said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Thank you all for coming."

And, despite the awkwardness, everyone managed to make small talk for the first part of dinner. And then… "So, how long have you been Persona users?" the blonde woman asked.

Madoka spit out her drink, and Junpei fell out of his chair. Mitsuru froze, with her chopsticks perfectly poised just below her open mouth, and Akihiko and Shinjiro kept casting anxious toward each other. "What?" Yukari said eloquently, mimicking just what everyone else was thinking.

"Yuka!" Kei Nanjo's friends yelled simultaneously.

The blonde woman shrugged. "What? We were gonna ask them sooner or later, right?"

"Yeah, but you don't just drop a bombshell like that!" the man in the yellow cap shot back.

Maki clapped her hands together and smiled nervously. "S-So I think now's as good a time as any for introductions. So we'll go around the table and say our name and our Arcanum. Okay? I'll start. I'm Maki Sonomura, and my Arcanum's the High Priestess." She lifted her glass and downed its contents in one gulp.

"Masao Inaba," the man in the yellow cap, who was sitting to Maki's right, introduced himself. "The Chariot."

The intimidating-looking man was next. "Reiji Kido. Used to be the Devil, but now I'm the Death."

Next was the curly-haired woman. "I'm Shinobu Mochizuki, and my Arcanum's the Star."

"Yukino Mayuzumi," said the woman in the cap. "I'm the Empress."

The blonde woman grinned at everyone. "I'm Yuka Ayase," she said. "Mine's the Magician. Sorry for outing you guys."

"Eriko Kirishima," said the other short-haired woman, smiling. "I'm the Judgment."

"I am Kei Nanjo, as you all know by now," Kei said. "I was formerly the Hierophant, but I am currently the Judgment as well."

Hidehiko grinned mischievously. "What's up, everyone? I am the great Brown-sama—"

"His name is Hidehiko Uesugi," Madoka said before she could stop herself, sounding only slightly irritated.

"Come on, Madoka-chan," Hidehiko whined. "I can introduce myself!" He cleared his throat loudly and emphatically. "As I said, I am the great Brown-sama, and I am of the glorious Justice Arcanum. Your turn, Madoka-chan!" He clapped her on the back for good measure.

"Hi," Madoka said awkwardly. "Um… I'm Madoka Tachibana, and mine is the Death." Reiji nodded to her once.

Shinjiro crossed his arms. "Shinjiro Aragaki. The Hierophant."

Akihiko raised his hand. "Akihiko Sanada. The Emperor."

"I am Mitsuru Kirijo of the Empress Arcanum."

"I'm Fuuka Yamagishi, and mine's the High Priestess."

"Junpei Iori of the Magician!"

"I'm Yukari Takeba. Mine's the Lovers." Yukari frowned slightly. "Wait, so you're _all _Persona users?"

"Yup!" Yuka replied cheerfully. "But, like, only in high school."

"And two years ago," Shinobu reminded her. "Don't forget that one."

"We kind of had to help save the world twice," Yukino said.

"I was MIA for the first saving of the world," Maki interjected. "Actually, I was kind of the one who—"

"Hey, you don't have to tell them that if you don't want to, Maki," Masao cut her off. But Madoka already knew what Maki was trying to say.

"So how did you guys know we were Persona users?" Yukari asked.

"We're all connected," Eriko said, smiling thinly. "We can feel it. Surely you've felt it as well?"

"Probably because you're a lot more comfortable with us than you normally would be with other people in similar circumstances," Shinobu said. "Have you noticed that?"

"Whoa, she's _right_!" Akihiko gasped.

"I was wondering why I haven't felt the slightest bit uneasy since coming here…" Mitsuru mused.

"Also, Madoka-chan kind of clued me in," Hidehiko said.

"Wait, _how_?" Madoka asked, frowning in confusion. "I never said anything to you about…"

"You've got the same thing going as Reiji," Hidehiko explained. "Your Persona scares the crap out of people. Hell, it scared the crap out of _me_. And it's even freakier than Reiji's!"

And for a moment, it was like there was no one else there – like it was just Madoka and Hidehiko. And at the moment, she didn't care about how she looked to everyone else, because she _had_ to understand what was going on. "How could you possibly have known that? I didn't know until I came to Port Island!"

"I don't know, but it was there," Hidehiko retorted. "I knew you were full of _bad vibes_ before our little arrangement – it's kind of an open secret in the family, if you didn't know that already. I had a sneaking suspicion about what the _bad vibes_ were, and I had to see for myself. Maybe you played the Persona game or something as a kid. I don't know."

Madoka look downward, and her eyes began to sting. "S-So the only reason you…"

"Persona game?" Shinjiro said in a low voice.

"Wait, so you guys never played it?" Hidehiko asked. "Masao thought it was just a sham. A sham, I say!"

"All for the sake of all you can eat…" Masao moaned.

And then the conversation degenerated into swapping Persona stories. But Madoka didn't say a word, despite all the anxious and worried glances Hidehiko shot in her direction.

* * *

"Hey, Madoka-chan!" Hidehiko called just as SEES started to leave. "Can we talk?"

Madoka wrapped her arms tightly around herself, refusing to look into his eyes. "What's there to talk about?"

"How about _everything_?" Hidehiko retorted. "Okay, so… I guess this is a little awkward now, isn't it?"

"You think?"

"Alright, show's over," she heard Shinjiro say, and was thankful that he was now ushering everyone out. On the other side of the hall, Shinobu did the same with all of Hidehiko's friends.

"Okay, so…" Hidehiko said. "Persona."

"Yeah."

"No more secrets okay? About Persona stuff. You can trust me. And Nanjo meant what he said back there – if you ever have any problems, just come to us."

"Okay…" Madoka sighed. "But… did you really…?"

"At first?" Hidehiko asked, raising one eyebrow. "Yeah. I knew I was right about that from the moment I met you. And yeah, maybe that's why I'm not going apeshit over you like the rest of the family is. But that's not so bad, is it?"

Madoka smiled faintly at him. "No… I guess not."

"Right…" Hidehiko shrugged. "Well, it's just like Reiji said. There's not much you can do about your Persona giving everyone the evil eye… metaphorically speaking. You've just gotta suck it up."

"I've _been_ sucking it up for the past ten years, at least. I know what to do."

"Okay." Hidehiko grinned. "So you're leaving tomorrow, right? You're still coming to visit sometime before you start school again."

And, for the first time, Madoka gave him a genuine smile. "I will."

Without warning, Hidehiko threw her arms around her, lifting her into the air as he hugged her tightly. "This is gonna be great!" She couldn't help but laugh as he finally released her. "Well, you should probably get going. See you around, Madoka-chan!"

* * *

_Word count: 31055_

* * *

_Shinobu Mochizuki = the Persona 1 protagonist in this continuity. But that's another story for another day… no, seriously, that will be another story later._


End file.
